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For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Brigid Marie Grandey Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Suzanne McIntyre Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:00 31:00 31:01 31:00 31:00 31:02 31:04 31:02 31:00 31:00 31:01 31:00 31:02 31:00 31:02 31:08 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH-20 SBMG: This is an interview being conducted for the archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. It is being conducted in the parlor at Sacred Heart Convent on September 9, 1986. The interviewer is Sister Brigid Marie Grantley, and the interviewee is Sister Suzanne McIntyre. v Now Sister Suzanne, I ' ve known you for quite a while, and I've heard you tell a lot of interesting stories so I'm hopeful that we will capture some of your enthusiasm for life on this tape. I would like you to feel free to say whatever you would like to say . The most interesting place to start would be with your birth, early years in grade school, your years at Sacred Heart High School, and your entrance into the Community. SSMc: You told me you were going to do this, I read several books during the Summer about Irish history, particularly about the famines because I wanted to know about the dates. I discovered that my father and his family had been born around those important dates 1845- 1852. My mother on the other hand was younger, and so I think her family was not as disturbed with the famines. My father Patrick Francis McIntyre was born in Ulster in 1856. 1856 was one of the big dates. 1850 was the end of one of the worst famines. One thing that interested me was that since my family never spoke about any great poverty, it was because in Ulster there were some mines, etc., which provided work for the Irish. My father was the oldest of seven children as I am the seventh child in my family. So when my father was very young, his parents took him to Liverpool. In Liverpool no Irish were ever allowed to die. If they died in Ireland, it was alright, because it would be thought that it was because the Irish were careless. So my father received a very good education in Liverpool. His English was lovely, no sign of a brogue, and he didn' t swallow the ends of words as many of the Liverpoolans did. He went to school until he was sixteen. His older brother and his four sisters had meantime come over one by one to America. From what I know, my father buried his father and mother in Liverpool. My father came at age sixteen to New York to meet his brother. Uncle Tommy as I knew him thought he was going to play a trick on my father. He handed my father a bag and said" Patty, these are some American apples." My father bit into one which was delicious! It was a tomato, and we always had fresh tomatoes in our house. My father would tell this story, but he never talked about Liverpool. He spoke a little about the Irish. He held as a great treasure his naturalization papers. We have them yet, Mary and I. He was naturalized in what was then called "The Ohio Settlement." which included Wheeling and Western Pennsylvania. My father was twenty three at the time as he had to wait five years before naturalization could begin. If you asked him for his date of birth, the date he would give was January 9t \ the date of his naturalization. My father would never permit any harsh words or titles which you hear addressed to the Jewish, the Irish, the Negro, etc. My father never raised his voice or used his hands, but when he put down his paper, he would say "That' s enough!" We knew it was serious, and that was it. So I grew up in a very fine environment. We weren't rich. My father worked as a puddler. His brother was a superintendent of a salt box mill in Etna, but my father and mother got married and had children so soon, that he had to go to work in the mill as a puddler, which was one of the highest paid jobs, but nonetheless a very hard one. My sister Mary grieves to this day because he had to work so hard. She didn't understand when we were growing up what a puddler did. My father died one month before I entered...January 5, 1925. He slipped on the ice coming home from visiting with his aunt. On a Saturday, Irene and I were in Pittsburgh buying things for my entrance. My father wouldn't accept an invitation to dinner at his aunt's, because Mary had stayed home to get dinner, and he said when someone did this, you went home to eat it. My brother Jim didn't follow him. He thought his aunt's dinner would be better than Mary' s. My father tripped on a step, fell back and hit his head. I remember only one thing about those forty­ eight hours when my father was in the hospital. I had never seen anyone very sick. My mother died when I was very young. No one in our house had illnesses. I got whooping cough some years later when I was stationed at Sacred Heart, when I was fifty-five years old. My mother took care of her sister' s children when they had black diphtheria and died, but she did not bring it home to us. So when I saw my father in the hospital with his head all wrapped up and unconscious talking out of his unconsciousness, I just couldn't take it. I ran down the end of the hall and stood for some time with my face against the comer. Then I was ashamed of myself for being such a fraidy cat. So that night when Mary and I were allowed to stay, I went back up and went into my father ' s room, although they didn' t want this as my father had pneumonia. All the windows were open . In those days they did this so that others would not get it. I was so sad because he hadn't said anything sensible, hadn't said any prayers. But while I was standing there...suddenly out of the delirium came "Our Father Who Art In Heaven." That made everything fine. My father was a good man, but we felt badly that he had to die so suddenly. However, he died with everyone around him children, sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews, etc. SBMG: I was wondering. You said that your mother died when you were very young and I wondered who took care of the family, and how you managed. SSMcl: My mother who had married my father at age seventeen had seven children. I was the seventh. She was considered to be a delicate child and this is an interesting story. My mother and her family lived in Swansea , Wales. She was born in Swansea , Wales, but the family came from Cork, Ireland, probably during one of the bad years in Ireland. They had a lovely home, lovely grounds, beautiful horses, and where my mother' s mother had buried five young children. Therefore, when her husband suggested that they follow the oldest son and daughter over to America, she said definitely no. She had three young daughters living , one of which was my aunt Nellie, who lived to be ninety-three, but couldn' t be baptized as a baby because she was so sick, and my mother who had rheumatic fever, so her heart was bad. She said it was time to visit her relatives in Cork. She took the two youngest, leaving my mother who was age eight with the housekeeper and her father whom she loved very well in the home in Swansea, Wales. I don't know how he did it, but my grandfather literally kidnapped my mother and brought her over to America to his sister and my grandmother' s brother who happened to be in Pittsburgh Nevertheless, he brought eight year old, Maggie, who was not very strong over across the seas. I didn' t know my grandparents. I have a notion that my grandmother was a little stiff. My mother was the third of the seven children born to her parents. My mother then was not strong. She also had a problem with her eyes. By the time she was eleven years old, she was completely losing her sight. My grandmother of course took her to the best of physicians who told her they could not do anything, but perhaps there was a new operation they might try. My grandmother asked the doctors if they could assure her of anything and when they said "no", she said...well, we won't operate then. Getting back to my mother. She had married at the age of seventeen and had seven children. They all lived and were strong. She had the same German mid-wife for the delivery of all the children. I was little, but was healthy. Sister Teresa Vincent, not a sister at the time ran around telling everyone that Mrs. McIntyre had a baby with long black hair down to her shoulders, and she looked like an Indian. Across the street from the house where I was born lived the Mahoney sisters, on another comer lived the Reilly sisters and on the other comer lived a family whose daughters also became Sisters of Charity. We lived there for just a few years because when my mother died, my sister Irene couldn't stay there any longer. It was too hard. Now you asked me who took care ofus. When I was born, Irene was sixteen. She was the second girl. Nellie followed her mother's footsteps and married young, the first time. However, her husband died and they had no children. So she moved home too. Irene, at age sixteen was a wonderful, wonderful girl. Irene and Nellie knew everything that my mother knew. They knew how to bake, how to cook, what was this, what was that, etc. To this day, I hardly ever have a conversation with Mary who was eleven when my mother died,that she doesn't say "mom or pop". They're always coming into the conversation. When my mother died, my father was left with seven children... ranging from age twenty-one down to age three and a half. My mother, I don't ever remember, because she never had her picture taken. I never felt that I had lost a mother, because we had so many mothers taking care ofus. Our house was always filled with people. Our cousins, uncles etc. could always stay with us as we always found another place to put a bed. SBMG: You went to St. John the Baptist Elementary School. Is that correct? SSMcl: St. John the Baptist was way ahead of its time. As Sister Electa Boyle would tell you in her book, the buildings were the finest in the city of Pittsburgh. When the pastor had them built, he arranged for them to be connected, so that you could go from one to the other without going outside. This was of course a great advantage. I was baptized at St. John the Baptist in 1906. All but my two oldest sisters were baptized there. My father and my mother were buried there. Everybody else lived there until they were married. Then they moved away. Now, what was school like? It was delightful. I was seven when I went to school. My m other didn't believe in sending a child at age six, and neither did Irene when I came along. My first grade teacher was a Miss Purcell.· She wa·s about five years older than Irene, and she handled the first grade beautifully. Both Father McKeever at St. John's and Monsignor Kane at Sacred Heart were always ahead in having at least one secular teacher in their grade school...fine sisters teaching, but we did have this one lay teacher...Miss Purcell. Miss Purcell got me ready for my First Holy Communion, and I was well ready for it. We were invited up around the altar. People today talk about going up around the altar, but we did it in 1913. We went up to the altar. I led the way as I was the smallest. I don't know who taught me to read and write, but I did learn. I do know that my father taught my sister, Mary, how to read and write. In those days you learned how to read before you went to school. So, to keep me quiet, Miss Purcell sat me up in the front desk on some books and gave me the eighth grade geography and the adult Bible History to read. So I early in my life became interested in History and Geography and rm very grateful. I liked it all the time. I couldn't be bothered learning how to read and I didn't pay much attention to Mathematics. I guess I learned something, but I didn't pay much attention. St. John the Baptist in those days ,the first grade, was a big upper room, which later became High School classrooms. It had one wall, which Father left not plastered. It had a curtain which could be shoved back and we could go into the other part of the room where we had our play time. You didn't have to worry about the weather at all. Sister Miriam Gaffney, who was our principal, just loved to have little plays. She had a little platform up in front of the school. She would come around and she would pick this one from this room and that one from that room. She had the plays all ready. You went down to the principal's office and got your part. You memorized your lines and we entertained. We entertained the Civil War Veterans, the Spanish War Veterans, the Little Sisters of the Poor when they came around, etc. We were always entertaining. We had good, solid classes too. We never spoke of grades at St. John's until you hit the fifth grade on the second floor. So all the other rooms were: room 1, room 2, room 3, room 4, room 5, and room 6. So you know, you could have two third grades. No one was ever told that they didn't make it. You moved from room to room, not from grade to grade. I happened to get through all those grades myself, but one time I found myself wondering " How come I had Sister Ernestine Palmer in the third or fourth grade, and then I had Sister Mechtildes Grasberger, whom I loved, and then I had Sister Gonzaga Driscoll?" Now I think we were pushed around the second semester so that I was pushed on a grade ahead. Then in the fifth grade I had Sister Baptista McGivern She was a marvel in History, so we had lots of History. She was very smart. When we talked a little bit when she left the room, we always admitted that we had talked. She would say "Well dear, you'll have to stay in after school and write ten, fifteen, twenty, and sometimes it was more five syllable words from our text" Have you ever tried to find twenty five syllable words from a fifth grade text book? Another punishment was having to memorize the week's Spelling words backwards. We learned our vocabulary alright. I skipped the sixth grade and always felt that I didn't know anything about Arithmetic from that time on until I got to High School. Algebra was alright, Geometry okay, Advanced Algebra was alright, but I'm just beginning to remember how to add now. I never like anyone asking me about my multiplication tables. SBMG: I believe you have some recollections about the Sisters at St. John the Baptist and about your Music lessons there. SSMcI: Yes, my dear sister, Irene, had sacrificed and bought a new piano so that I could practice. That's one thing my sister had not thought through. I loved to play the piano, but you had to practice to be good, and I did not like to practice. Sister Agnes Cecilia Dougherty was the Music teacher. She was very smart, very wise, and colorful, always laughing. So I had a lot of sweet little pieces. Sister Athanasius Hillgrove came along a few years later and said I really was wasting my sister's money. She suggested that my sister discontinue my Music lessons. Meantime, though, Sister Agnes Cecilia used to gather us together and have us sit on the floor. We sat on the parlor floor about once a week on lovely carpets. The sisters were all very generous about having us do this. During these sessions, we really had Music appreciation. I learned to know all about the musicians and to appreciate some of their music even though I could never sit down and practice it enough so that I could play it. I have a taste for good Music because of these sessions. Also, I remember Sister Agnes Cecilia and Father McKeever. When we came out of school every afternoon, we were all very happy because Father played the drum and Sister Agnes Cecilia played the piano. So we marched out of school to wonderful Music..drum and piano, and Sister tapping her heels, and she and Father both waving good night to us. I remember my principal, Sister Miriam Gaffney, Sister Mary Cecilia Brown , Sister Ernestine Palmer, Sister Baptista McGivem , who taught us such wonderful History, Sister Redempta Regan who taught us in the eighth grade, and Sister Mechtildes Grasberger. Sister Mechtildes taught me in the fifth grade, and broke my heart. One day she was doing something, reading something, and I always loved to listen. I loved her. Someone made a noise, and she thought it was I. I think she forgot, and for just a minute, she slapped me. I wouldn't talk to her for three days. So, she finally made enough reparation by putting a very beautiful picture in front of me on the desk telling me that it was all a big mistake. I forgave her, but I was just hurt because I would never do anything to hurt Sister Mechtildes. We went to the convent chapel at St. John's too. What I remember is that my sister, Catherine, was very popular and she had boy friends who brought her many lovely things like bouquets of flowers, boxes of candy, etc. Catherine didn't seem to care much, especially about the flowers which usually got put in our kitchen after she took one upstairs for herself. So, I thought it was awful to just have the flowers on a kitchen shelf, so I would take them to the convent and was even allowed to go upstairs to the privacy of the chapel on the second floor and put the flowers down on a bench there. Then we would say a little prayer. St. Patrick's Day was a big day at St. John's. If it fell on a Friday, we were given the day off and permission to eat meat. Getting to the celebration of St. Patrick's Day involved much preparation. Every room had to work hard to see who could bring in the most money for the St. Patrick's Day bazaar. It was lots of fun! We were always having parties. The girls had the parties mostly. You had a party in your family, and of course, your family provided lemonade and cakes. The family permitted you to have the parlor or what-ever room they could. Everyone coming to the party had to pay. They paid at the front door. None of the money went to the family having the party. Everything they paid, you could take with you the next day. I also remember that before I left grade school, I was teaching the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine to little children up on the hill. We went up and knocked on the doors. I won't mention any nationalities, but there was a very fine group of Catholics there. The men felt that there were more interesting things for them to do on a Saturday morning. The women were very glad however that a smart little girl, I mean smart because she didn't mind men or knocking on the doors insisting that the children come to CCD. I brought the children down the hill to St. John's where I taught them for one hour and then took them over for the eleven o'clock Mass. In the meantime, for those ofus who have to have something to eat before Mass, I hadn't had anything to eat. It was long, and I'm glad the fasting regulations have changed, but nonetheless, it was a good experience. I learned to teach Christian Doctrine early. St. John's had Euchre parties every Friday evening. These parties were most enjoyable and popular, because some benefactors like the Eichenlaub's contributed very nice things as prizes. One time, my brother won a lovely brass bedstead. SBMG: Then when you finished at St. John the Baptist, Sister Suzanne, I believe you came right over to Sacred Heart High School. Would you like to tell us something about the location of the High School then and about the priests, some of your teachers , some of the things you learned, etc.? SSMcI: Sacred Heart high school and grade school were both located on Center Avenue at that time. The Church was on Center Avenue. My recollection of the Church before going to Sacred Heart High School was when my uncle died. He was a very tall, well built handsome man from Limerick. All I could think as we walked up the church steps was that they will drop the casket as the many steps were also icy. Nevertheless, I came to Sacred Heart as a high school girl in 1920; We had rooms in the grade school up on the second and third floor. We had wonderful teachers. Sister Borgia Casey was our principal. She was also principal of the grade school. She worked hard. She met us every day when we came late, and the only comment was: "Well if you got the car before, you wouldn't be late." Now you can take ten demerits. We would tell Sister Rose Vincent McNulty that we got these demerits, and she was always lovely, but after a few times, she would say: "Sit down with your old demerits." Sister Claudia Glenn hadn't come yet. I didn't have her in my freshman year. I had Sister Beatrice Gority for Latin. Sister Beatrice's classes were wonderful! She made you love the Latin language. I don't know that I was tortured about grammar, but suppose I learned it well enough. We did learn to love the Latin language and also the history behind what we were studying in Latin. I had Sister Beatrice for Latin for four years. She also taught us Music. She had a beautiful voice, so we also learned to sing some songs in Latin. I signed up for Commercial-Academic. I thought I would earn some money, but haven't earned ten cents. When you signed up for Commercial, you took Book-Keeping in your Freshman and Sophomore year. It was very good. I liked it, but missed out on Ancient History. I couldn't take Ancient History. So when it was time to take Spanish the next year, I took Spanish from Sister Evelyn Fisher. I took it for two years. At Sacred Heart, you could have Latin four years, two years of Spanish or German, and then in your senior year, if you had a period, you could take a year of your next language, which I intended to do. I didn't take German to start with because I felt it would be too difficult, but after two years of Spanish and three years of Latin, I thought I would try a little German. In the meantime, Father Coakley had come. He was well versed in French. He had been in the first world war, so dear Sister Gregory's German had to go by the board. I got my first lesson in Forensics from Father Coakley. He came to our class practically every day. We were his first graduating class, so he gave us a lot of his time. During the Summer of my Junior year he had a new high school built... you know Sears Roebuck stuff out now where the new church was supposed to be where the Sears Roebuck is now..out on Sheraden Avenue and Highland. Oh, that was wonderful! You could go into your own room by your own door, and go out without going into the hall. As Seniors, we had ten minute privileges. We got out ten minutes before the others did. We had all the room in the world, but we were allowed to go off the premises to the Ritten House for lunch. The only time I enjoyed lunch during the four years was when I went to the Ritten House for a sandwich. So during my senior year I spent money going to the Ritten House for lunch. Father Coakley had said that we could have French. He was going to bring a young girl from Carnegie-Mellon to teach the French class. I felt that this was terrible because we were blaming a language for what had happened in World War I. I expressed myself very vociferously. I didn't get too far with Father Coakley who said the young woman was coming regardless of the objection. Sister Gregory Farrell said again that if we could get ten girls for German, I'll give you a course in German. We couldn't get ten girls. Some girls wanted to take French from the young woman from Carnegie-Mellon because they felt that German was too hard. I would not take French, and couldn't get German. Well, Mother Evaline Fisher settled that. She said if you can get others interested, I'll give you Third Year Spanish. So we were ahead of most schools in the city. We had three years of Spanish at Sacred Heart. Now public schools, like Langley High School in Sheraden had a magnificent four year course in Spanish, French, and German. I made up my Geometry which I had missed during my Sophomore year by taking Book-Keeping. I went to Schenley High School. . It was delightful. I had a man teacher. This was also pleasing to me. However, I took Geometry with Charles Helbling, one of my classmates. He was one of the brightest boys in the class. After about two days I said, "Charles, how long did you spend on your Geometry last evening?" He said, "Seven hours." I said," Well then I'm quitting today.". I'm not going to spend seven hours a day in the Summer on Geometry even if it is required; .I did quit. I had a good time taking Ancient History. It was delightful. I got Geometry in the novitiate after I entered. SBMG: We'll just stop for today and pick up this tape when we meet again. SBMG: This is a continuation of the oral history on Sister Suzanne McIntyre by Sr. Brigid Marie Grantley at Sacred Heart Convent. The date is September 10, 1986. Now Sr..Suzanne, on the frrst tape you told us about your childhood, your experiences at St. John the Baptist and at Sacred Heart High School. So I guess my question to you now would be: Whatever made you think about becoming a Sister of Charity and how did that come to you, and what steps did you take? SSMCI: Actually, thoughts of becoming a Sister percolated heavily in my mind during my Junior year, but when they did so, I tried very hard to dismiss them as I had no intention of being a Sister. In my eighth grade, I loved all the Sisters. One day Sister Redempta Regan standing in line passed all the lovely girls and said to me "And you're going to become a sister, aren't you dear?" I answered very emphatically: "Not on your life, get up at five thirty in the morning, never go home, never dance or sing?" Oh no, Sister. I'm going to be an actress. In spite of it all, my whole background was tied up with the sisters. A deep seeded love for religion was ingrained in me. I was religiously inclined, yet I loved the movies. I went to a movie almost every day, and sometimes more than once a day. I loved to dance and sing, although at times the feeling came to me that I ought to do more with my life. A voice deep down seem to say that perhaps I wouldn't be saved unless I became a Sister. I liked boys. I had a special boy friend from grade school through high school. In walking home together from a date one evening, he was the frrst one I told about possibly becoming a Sister. He said, "That's great!" Maybe I should become a priest. He did go to St. Vincent's for a short time, but left and became a very successful lawyer. He was a good father to a large family. I'm sure that family wouldn't object to my giving his name.John D. McGrady. However, somewhere in my senior year, the Bishop ordered that every school had to have prayers every day for vocations. I recall that Mother Claudia Glenn put the name and address of every religious order on the blackboard. She told us things about everyone, but never wrote Sisters of Charity. I suppose she felt that since we had Sisters of Charity and observed them, there wasn't any point in listing it on the board. She wrote the names of all the monasteries and the kind of priests who were there. We did have one priest vocation from our class...Father John McKenna who was from Hazelwood. He became a wonderful diocesan priest. He died before we had our twenty-fifth class reunion. Well, getting back to me. We prayed a very beautiful prayer every day and we thought about it . My sister Nellie, who lived in Aliquippa at the time had no children. She coaxed me to come down and spend some time with her. Nellie just loved children. So I went and spent a week with Nellie. Every morning I went to Mass with her. After Mass, she would leave to make a fine breakfast for me....anything to keep me there. I stayed in the church every morning. I was fighting a vocation. Finally, I came home, went out to see Mother Claudia, and said to her: "I keep thinking I should be a Sister of Charity." She said, "Well, I've been waiting for you to tell me." Never once in four years had she or anyone else said anything to me. Then she was all for getting me ready for September eighth. When I went home and told my Sister, Irene, who never lets you down she smiled happily. Her good work of giving up half of her life was turning out decently. Mary, my other sister on the other hand said"You become a sister? What are you going to do with your right foot when you feel like stamping it?" My sister Irene said there is no way I can have you ready for September. You'll need too many things. So, I have a suggestion. You have a scholarship for Seton Hill. We weren't going to send you there as it would cost something beyond our means. I'll make a compact with you. You go to Seton Hill for a semester. We'll be able to afford taking care of things. That way you can see what it's like to get up at six o'clock or whenever . Be with the sisters and see if you would like it. Then if you don't wish to be a Sister, you can come home after the first semester and go to Robert Morris College, which we can afford. So I went to Seton Hill as a freshman in 1924 with a class of twenty-eight. I was delayed for three weeks in getting to Seton Hill as I had a severe case of Gingivitis. This presented some problems regarding classes which I wanted to take. Sister Eucharia O'Hagan was Registrar and informed me that I couldn't take Latin or Spanish as classes had been in session for three weeks. Schweitzer(Sr. Maria Francesca Umauer), who taught German did not like late beginners due to the complexity of the German language. I reluctantly ended up taking French. This was the only "D" I've ever received. I went home at Christmas time. On January fifth I went into town, met Irene, and spent the day buying things for entering the convent. In the meantime, arrangements had been made for me to enter on February second, which would be after the first semester of college work. Two days after my father's funeral we had an extra visit. Sister Florence Marie Scott and Sister Francesca Brownlee came in from Greensburg. I really didn't understand the reason for the visit...thought perhaps that they did this for every student. When my sister Irene took the sisters to the parlor, they said we think we have to say one thing. Lillian doesn't seem to be showing any signs of coming back to school. Sister Francesca said, "You know if she doesn't return to school, we can't give her credit for her first semester work." No matter where she wants to go to school, and I'm sure she will, she'll have to repeat the first semester's work. I did go back to Seton Hill. Sister Stanislaus McVay was our Dean of Women, and she was an angel. Sister Amata Brennan was our nurse. She also was an angel. Everyone was so very good to me, and Margaret Garrick , my companion in the room next to me helped me to get through those days. I don't recall that I did much studying. I did get my grades. Somewhere during the last week, Sister Florence Marie Scott said to me:"Lillian, have you altogether given up being a sister?" I suddenly said, "Oh yes, I may as well." Actually, I went home on Friday and came back to Seton Hill to enter on Sunday.. SBMG: So you entered. What was it like to be a postulant in 1924? SSMC: My sister Irene and my aunt Lilly, my god-mother took me up to Seton Hill on the train. Most of the family stayed at home. My date of entrance was February 2, 1924. I enjoyed every minute of my novitiate. Sister Mary Dorcas Smith entered with me. She was a Sophomore. I was a Freshman. We entered on Monday, February second. We came on Sunday, but in those days you came the day before entrance. On Tuesday word came, per Mother Rose Genevieve Rogers that Dorcas Smith and Lillian McIntyre were to sign up for full schedule of college classes. My first month in the Novitiate, despite my sadness over my father's and nephew's death quickly evaporated. I was really very happy. I didn't long grieve over my father's and nephew's death. I grieved over Sister Mary Dorcas's death longer than for anything in my life. We were very busy with school work and novitiate duties, so there was no time to get homesick. Very early even in my postulancy I served in the dining room and I felt that this was kind of clever, being able to do this without dropping things down people's backs. Also, it was discovered that my voice was a very strong one, so I was asked to read. I had an interesting experience with this. We were up in the gallery. My first attempt was at prayers. In the old prayer manual, in one of the litanies there was the phrase: "From the sins of the damned, preserve us oh Lord." Actually, It was: "From the sins of Adam, preserve us oh Lord." The A in Adam was left out. On the way out of prayers, Sister Electa Boyle corrected me. She always sat up in the gallery off to the side. She told me that I wasn't very intelligent that I didn't know that the A was missing from Adam. As I was reading that, from down below in the chapel, dear Sister Ferdinand Love had a lovely voice. She kept perfect time in praying. In fact, Mother Mary Francis McCullough, when she corrected me, said that Sister Ferdinand was the only one in the chapel praying correctly, and I would do well to follow her example. That's just one of the things that I remember from early times. During our novitiate, we also had Mother Mary Francis, our Novice Mistress for classes. We had Father Sullivan teaching us religion classes. We worked up in the infirmary and were impressed with people like Sister M. Christina Riley, who was so terribly crippled. SBMG: At the end of our last session, Sister Suzanne, you were beginning to talk about some of the sisters you met while you were still in the novitiate. You had mentioned Sister Christina. Now you may want to tell about some of the other sisters you met in your early days. SSMCI: I remember that I was so impressed with sisters in their last illnesses. I suppose that my father's death and my nephew's death made me feel that I could be around the dying. I was never good with the sick if they had a great pain or showed signs of fever or had a cut and were bleeding. I would have to quickly get someone else to tend to them. I'm no good with the actual sick, but when they reach the point where they are finding their way towards God, I don't have any difficulty with being able to stay with them. I'm glad of the fact that even in the novitiate and my days as a professed sister I have been with several sisters much of the time when they were having their last days on earth. One sister I especially remember was our dear and loving Sister Carita Duffy. I say this just to remind us all no matter how much we think we are doing, at the end, sometimes God does ask us for a special thing. He seemed to ask Sister Carita during those last three days to find it very hard to give up this life or to come out of whatever was disturbing her. I remember kneeling at the foot of her bed as often as I could get there and praying. There was always an older sister at the top of the bed who would say: "Say the Apostles Creed." I recall how peaceful and calm sister would become and a nice smile would come over her face. We said this prayer many times and as a result I have become very devoted to this prayer. I also remember Sister Callista M. Hughes who was smaller than I. She was a little senile at the time , childish actually. She was just as sweet as she could be, but when left to herself she was always on the way home to her mother because she wasn't allowed to be out so late in the afternoon. She knew where the door was to let her out, and so she would slip out very quickly. Anyone ofus who saw her of course took her to the infirmarian. The power of obedience was shown to me one night. I had done the reading in the novitiate. I was by myself. Suddenly I looked and there was little Sister Callista. She had found her way up to the third floor. I didn't know what I was going to do as she probably would have become very upset ifl touched her. I did begin to talk to her, and of course got the same story that she had to go home to her mother because she couldn't be on forty-sixth street after four o'clock. When I was about to despair, Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers came around the comer. She had not yet gone . down to dinner. It was so wonderful! She just smiled sweetly and said: Now Sister Callista, what are you doing up here? Sister Callista said: "I don't know, Mother." Well now dear, said Mother Rose Genevieve, we'll go down to your room. It's time for dinner. Not a word. Her mind was perfectly clear for that minute. She knew Mother Rose Genevieve and that she was the superior, so she went down to her room. I went to my room being very impressed that this dear, sweet sister was keeping her vow of obedience after all these years in the Community. SBMG: Thank you very much Sister Suzanne. Now is there anything else you would like to share with us, especially from your novitiate? SSMC: Yes, I have some very pleasant things that I recall. Back in the novitiate, we got much practice in Gregorian Chant. Our singing was fine. There was an elderly priest who came from Europe. He was well versed in Gregorian Chant. He came from Pine Gregorian School in Europe. The Gregorian was not the most important thing that I recall. He stayed for a month or two and took us for classes. He was such a delightful, elderly priest. He walked every day underneath the porch on the novitiate side of the building. Mother Mary Francis also wanted us to take a walk each day. The half hour or so before dinner seemed to be the best time, and this is when Father took his walk. He used to tell us many interesting stories. The one I remember most was about St. Teresa, the Little Flower. Father was a personal friend of the Little Flower's family. When the Little Flower was just a small girl he visited and told us that she sat on his knee. He made the story very human. He said: "Oh, she sat on my knee." She wasn't so well trained. If she didn't get what she wanted.s he complained. Her Biography tells us that her father did spoil her. Father wanted us to know that we too could become saints. I liked to walk back and forth with Father because he wasn't much taller than I. One day we asked him to tell us more about the Little Flower. He looked at me and said: " Oh she wasn't so much bigger than you. " I hadn't had too much devotion to the Little Flower. She was canonized in I believe 1925, so she wasn't any older than I was then. So I thought...What did she ever do to become a saint? I hadn't read very much yet along those lines. I went out on mission, my first to St.Philip's in Crafton. I decided one Sunday afternoon to go over to the school which was close to the convent. The school door sometimes gave you trouble. When I had finished doing what I wanted to do in the classroom I left. I locked the door, turned the key to take it out and it would not come out. I hated to admit that I had gone to the school by myself and hadn't learned to use a key properly. So I said: "Well Little Flower, in this hour, show your power. If you get this key out for me, I'll tell everybody about you from now on." The key came out, and from that time on at least at the beginning of the year, I took time out to tell whatever class I had about the Little Flower. I also say her prayer which Mother Claudia Glenn gave me when I entered. I haven't become any great fan...I like Teresa of Avila better, but I remember that little incident from the novitiate of a priest who knew her personally and said that anyone who really tries can be a saint. SBMG; Well, that was very interesting, Sister. Do you remember any other experiences that you had with other sisters who were novices with you? . SSMI: Oh, I could go on for hours, but I'm going to tell you two things. Sister Dominica O'Connor, Sister Joanna Gleason and I were close :friends through the novitiate and also through our years as professed sisters. One day we were down on the first floor and we were experimenting, I guess. One of us said: "I don't know why we walk up five flights of stairs when there's an elevator here." The elevator was one which brought things up and down to the tearoom. Sister Joanna said:" We don't know how to use that." I said: "Well, there seems to be nothing to it. Anytime I've seen it, all you do is push the door open and the elevator stops and you go out." Sister Dominica, being sweet didn't disagree with me. Sr. Joanna hesitated, but we got in the elevator. Sister Joanna went in first since she was the senior, so she was closer to the back. I was close to the door since I knew all about this elevator. As we went up, we pushed the elevator and it did start. I don't know what we pushed. I've forgotten now. We went to the first floor and the second floor, but when I tried pushing something it didn't work. We got a little :frightened, at least I did. Anyhow, I said: "Oh you're just supposed to push it." So I did and we walked out. It was the third floor and Sr. Dominica and I got out, but Sister Joanna was still in the elevator and I pushed the door which closed. The elevator kept going up and all we could think was that it was broken and when it reached the top, it would fall clear down to the ground and Sister Joanna would·be killed. I was leaning over into the elevator shaft waiting for it to come down and Sister Dominica pulled me in. She held on to me very tightly and said:"There' s no use in two of us being killed." We would have been killed if she had not pulled me in. The elevator didn't come down and then we wondered...Where is Sister Joanna? We saw nothing. We thought she was dead. We went up another flight of steps and eventually we heard her laugh....a smutted laugh. She was so overcome with laughter that she couldn't speak, and we were so frightened that we were crying, -at least I was. Then we got mad because she hadn't told us. It had stopped on the sixth floor. There was something right about what I had said. It did automatically stop if you left it alone. Sister Joanna got out of the elevator when it stopped. She was finding her way down when she heard our cries and sobs and she began to laugh about all of that. Well, that was one incident. The other is a very beautiful one. It includes one of my favorite :friends...Father Reeves. When I went to Seton Hill, Father Reeves was a young priest. That was the class of 1928 to which I belonged although I didn't stay with it. However, I'm always included in reunions etc. Sister Joanna knew Father Reeves. She had gone through school to the Sisters of Mercy until she went to Seton Hill. In the process of determining her vocation, she talked to Father Reeves, and so he considered her to be his postulant. We were both taking a Bible class with other novices at the time. All novices sat toward the back of the Visual Education Room, which is where Father taught the class. The College students sat further up in the room. Sometimes the college girls were not too quiet during class, and I imagine occasionally that the novices weren't either. Father was usually pretty patient, but this particular day he expressed himself rather strongly to the girls and then to our chagrin he said: "And you novices had better behave yourselves or you will be out of the class. I'll report you." Well, we felt we had been disgraced. When class was over Sister Joanna and I felt that Father had really been out of place. He had no business talking to us that way. We were Sisters. He should show some respect. So we talked this over and decided we would go down and tell him about it. We walked down to his office which was in the Psychology Lab. He greeted us by saying very cheerfully .....hello! We were very severe in our response. We proceeded to tell him how out of _ place he had been. He was shocked that we would have the nerve to question him about this. He was very hurt, especially at Blanche, which was Sister Joanna's name before she entered. He didn't know me well enough at the time as when I was in College before entering, all I ever had to say was: "Good morning, Father." Well, we left him rather chagrined. He told us to go rather angrily. As we went upstairs we began to talk about it and decided that maybe we were out of line and should go back and apologize. The next day, we ate humble pie and went back to apologize. When we knocked on the door, Father smiled and told us to come in. We began to apologize and say how sorry we were. Father said: "Oh, that's alright." We must have said: "Well Father, we hope you will forgive us. We feel that we have committed a sin, and we'd like you to forgive us." I have never forgotten what he said. Forgive you? My dears, I forgave you shortly after you left here. Otherwise, how could I say the Our Father at my Mass this morning? He said: ''Now you've been forgiven for many hours. Now go and forget about it." I've always remembered this, although I've not always practiced it. By the next day we were good friends again. After that, when I was home in the next year, Father was very much at ease with me. Father was a marvelous teacher, but he was also a very holy man. Some people said the sisters spoiled him. Maybe they had. He didn't have a strong physical make-up. I remember Father on Sundays going out on the missions to teach CCD. I went with Father Reeves and some of the others to teach CCD classes. He taught in some distance outside of Greensburg in an Italian setting. Father Ree¥es, if you remember him was always spic and span. He was immaculately dressed....a handsome man at all times. I remember one Sunday in particular where classes were taught in what was the only room, the Hall, which had been used by the group the previous evening. It smelled very much of good wine, but nonetheless wine from the previous night. The Hall wasn't especially clean, but I marveled that through all that Father didn't show any signs of being annoyed. He patiently waited for the women to set up for Mass, at which he gave a beautiful homily in Italian and English. He was so much at home with those people up in the coal mining region of Greensburg. Those were some of the side things about Father Reeves that everyone didn't see. I had wonderful experiences also with Sister Helen Cecilia Dwyer in going out to teach CCD. The area we went to was far away. I have forgotten the name of the area now, but we left at seven o'clock in the morning. We packed our lunch the night before. We went via taxi cab immediately after Mass on Sunday morning. . Sister and I taught in a one­ room public school. It had a pot belly stove in it. The boys would put the coal in that was needed. We taught the children from when we got there, which was about nine o'clock until ten thirty. Then we would pile the children into a truck or some vehicle supplied by families to the church for Mass, which was at eleven o' clock. You understand that i.f they were going to Communion, they were still fasting. If Sister and I were going to Communion we would still be fasting also, but usually this was not the case. After Mass, we took the children back to the school house where then they were taken home. Sister Helen Cecilia and I stayed at the school house to eat our lunch. I learned to like black olives through this experience. Sister Helen Cecilia liked them, so she always packed some in our lunches. We ate our lunch around the stove. Then at one o' clock, the taxi or cars would come back packed to the gills with other CCD teachers, who like myself were going to teach other CCD classes in the afternoon. They picked Sister and me up. I was the first one dropped off then at the nearest place where I was going to teach. It was not the same place where I had taught in the morning, you understand. I have . forgotten the name of the place. The others were dropped off along the road at other places. It was in the various homes in outdoor wash house facilities that I taught. They were lovely Italian people, very clean and hospitable. A young girl from Greensburg was dropped off with me, but she did not like to go into the homes. One day after I had started to teach, they informed me that one of the grandmothers was sick. Would I go to see her? I said: "Of course." They took me to their home. The daughters were there and treated me like bad news , but they didn't dare say anything because Papa and Mama were there. I went inside, where a darling mother, a beautiful woman with lovely black hair and a beautiful voice was in bed. You could see that she was suffering. Her husband was there. He spoke very little English and his hands were very rough. I visited Grandma for a few Sundays. Being very young, I didn't ask many questions. She didn' t seem to be able to say what her problem was. She.blamed the doctors, who she said burned her back. Then one day when her husband wasn't in the room, she showed me her back. It was a hard thing for my young eyes to look at. She was indeed dying from Cancer. Her husband whispered to me that his hands were rough due to working in the mines, so that he couldn't rub her back without hurting her, and so she was scolding him. It was sad, and so I said I would do it if it was alright with her. She was happy about that. My hands of course were soft, not having done hard labor. She did get some kind of relief and peace from my doing this. I was really glad for this, so I did this every Sunday. When I came home, Mother Mary Francis was always concerned about me as I didn' t look well. I didn't dare tell her about this because I was afraid she wouldn't permit me to do this any. more due to my young age. So I would say: "I don' t do well in automobiles, Mother, and let it go at that." In reality, I did feel sick because I would imagine that the odor of Grandma's illness was inmy habit. So, I couldn' t wait to take it off and wash it. Because of this, I always wore my old habit on Sundays while doing this. In spite of this, it was a wonderful experience because after this she was resigned to her illness. Every Sunday, even though I said no, underneath the pillow, she would put a one dollar bill in my hand for me to say a prayer. She never asked for anything else. I'd take it and put it in the poor box or have a candle lit. That was an early experience, but I had many others in my CCD work. SBMG: Now Sister, did that experience happen while you were in the novitiate or at a later time? SSMcl: That was when I was in the novitiate. It was during my last year in the novitiate when I was brought home after teaching for three years at St. Philip's in Crafton. I was very fortunate, because during those three years, Sister Mary Edna Trexler and I were instructed to go to Pitt. I had a full year of college in addition before entrance to the Community. The Sisters of Mercy were not permitted to go to Pitt nor other religious communities except perhaps some older members. Sister Maria Francesca Urnauer ( Swester) and Sister M. Cyril Aaron kept us straight. Sister Cyril had a wonderful experience at Pitt dealing with bigotry. She was in class with a young man who was a one book professor. Sister Cyril was a well read woman, and between herself and Sister Stanislaus McVay, they kept her well supplied in the history of the course she was taking, so that anything the young man said that could be debated , that is, anything which was wrong, she had an answer for. The professor must have had a very bad year, but sister never left the class. However, due to that, per Sister Stanislaus, I was told that I was . not to sign up for any history classes at Pitt. Instead of that, I signed up for a wonderful course with a Mrs. Carmalt. She had been a teacher in the Public Elementary Schools. The class was made up of principals, teachers, administrators, and educators of all kinds. She took as much interest in me and Sister Mary Edna as though we had been very important administrators too, even though we were the youngest in the class. One day when I believe she felt that these principals, administrators, etc. were thinking that we were out of place, shouldn't ask questions, etc. that perhaps we shouldn't be in the class, she stopped and said something I will never forget. She said: "My dear students, I want you to remember that if no teacher ever existed, the human mind would learn. The human mind learns. You do not learn for them. They learn on their own, so don't feel so terribly important. Without you , the human child will learn. Without me, you will learn." I also took a class at that time in American Poetry. Sister Mary Edna also took the class. We had a young man who sat on top of the desk with his legs crossed, and we spouted poetry by the yards. I wasn't really impressed with his teaching. I don't think he particularly liked catholic sisters. We managed the course very nicely. SBMG: Now Sister Suzanne, at that time it was a five year novitiate. Would you tell me what kind of habit the novices wore and then tell me what you did each of those years and that will bring you up to your last year. SSMCI: Yes, I received a lovely brown habit on July third, 1925. The day of course couldn't have been hotter. I had two petticoats on, two pair of sleeves, the cape and apron, and two caps(one inner cap). By that time, I had twenty guests for the afternoon. I couldn't wait until they went home. I wasn't homesick, so I was very anxious for them to go home so that I could get something off. My second habit was an older brown habit. I had to make that one from someone else's good one. It was a little bigger. I could do a little sewing, so Sister Agnes Francina Kearney, God love her, put me to work sewing my own clothes. So we had brown habits.. Now while I was in the novitiate, it was decided that having the brown habits was not a good idea as the colors were changing. The bolts of material were not the same color. The Community decided that by the next December the eighth, whoever entered the next September when they got their habit, it would be a black one. That was the famous twenty group, all of them stayed, no one left. So they were very proud of themselves. They entered and got a black habit. I still had a brown habit, but when they were going to have the black habit on December the eighth, the word came that every novice would wear a black habit that day. So, whether I needed it or not, I got a black habit. I wore the brown habit during the week, and the black habit on Sundays. I had a long and happy novitiate. I could go on for a long time telling many things, but I won't. In the fifth year of my novitiate, I had been out on mission at St. Philip's in Crafton for three years. Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers decided in June of 1929 that the next year she was going to see that anyone who was practically ready would get that degree...that they would walk up the aisle in Sullivan Hall like any girl and receive their degree from the Bishop. We were very proud, you know, and have always been, that our work at Seton Hill is one hundred percent par excelleClancynce! You make it or else. Mother thought that it would be good from that time on for the sisters to receive their degree in this manner so that it could be seen that we did in fact receive a degree just as the students did. So in September of 1929 I was kept home . for college courses . Sister Rose Angela Cunningham, Sister Maria Serafina Mazza, Sister Hildebert Mudler, Sister Raphael Dimond, and a couple of older sisters who still had college courses to complete were also kept home. Of those who had to stay home, I had the least number of credits because I was the youngest or if I wasn't the youngest, I had not been in school. Sister Rose Angela had been at Seton Hill a little bit longer. She had been kept home longer. The first Semester of September of 1929, I did a full college course schedule. That was sixteen credits. The second semester I had seventeen credits of course work. How I ever got through, I don't know. I also taught a couple of classes in the Academy a few days a week. I taught CCD every Sunday. This was the year I taught all day long in nearby mining towns as afore mentioned. I served Mother Rose Genevieve's table three times a day, washed dishes...silverware and glasses in the college dining room after each meal, but you know I enjoyed all of it. We lived through it. I did get lots of permissions to study late at night. Fortunately for me, there was a Franciscan from one of the mid-western states getting her degree. She was getting her degree the easy way at the insistence of her father. She was taking Spanish that year, as was I from Senora, whose idea of an easy Spanish lesson was her reading you a two page newspaper in Spanish, and then she expected you to be ready to discuss this paper in Spanish the next day. Senora and I got along rather well, but I admit it was very difficult for me to keep up with the assignments. However, I did end up with a "B" in the course, so so be it. Apart from the heavy course work, and other duties mentioned above, I also had many happy ex­ periences with the sisters and with acquaintances made with the college girls. Did I walk up the aisle to receive my degree from the Bishop? Sad to say....no. At the last minute the day of Com­ mencement, the older sisters who were to graduate got cold feet. They said they were too old to do this with all of the young graduates, so shortly before the Graduation Ceremony was to begin, those ofus who were graduating were instructed to go to Mother Rose Genevieve's office and it was there that we received our degrees from the Bishop who would have been Bishop Hugh Boyle. I was a bit peeved about the situation as I had been obliged to be fitted for a habit which in fact did not fit me. As it turned out, I didn't have to wear that habit. We sat up in the balcony during the ceremony, so I wore one of my other habits. Since we didn't walk up the aisle to receive our diplomas, I didn't think too much of it, so I tossed it on my novitiate shelf and went downstairs to serve dinner. During night prayers, before Graduation, Mother Rose slipped into my pew and said: "Dear, Can you be ready to go with Sister M. Celesta Deignan at seven o' clock tomorrow morning? You can substitute for Sister Kathleen Kennedy in eighth grade at Holy Cross in Sharpsburg." Now I've had the experience since then that I could say I have taught every class from Pre-School, through High School, College, Advanced Education , and languages from ten different countries. While I've had marvelous experiences, how well I've taught, I don't know. I'll never forget my fear of going to teach Arithmetic at the end of a school year with no preparation. The next day on my way in to teach, Sister Celesta said: "Dear, do you wear glasses?" I said: "Oh, I only wear them when I have to." She said: " Well dear, from now on you wear them all the time when you are teaching that class. Besides, they make you look a little bit older." If you knew Sister Kathleen Kennedy, you knew that her students were well taught. By the way, it was Sister Kathleen's golden jubilee year and the Community was sending her to Ireland, her place of birth. Everyone was very happy for Sister Kathleen. She was a darling! I didn' t really do badly in Arithmetic in grade school. I had a bad experience in the seventh grade. I skipped the sixth grade. Sister Carlotta Murray turned the pages with her class when they moved from sixth to seventh grade, so she never reviewed. I just had John McGrady to cheat for me. lfl hadn' t had him, I don't know what I would have done, although I passed all the examinations. I didn't mind teaching fifth and sixth grade Math when I taught at St. Philip' s in Crafton. However, having to teach Math in the eighth grade was a different story, as you had to know the whole thing, especially as it was the end of the year. One big thing which was to my advantage was that Sister Kathleen, kept from year to year, bundled up neatly all the standardized diocesan tests which were given. I took a packet of these home every evening, worked out all of the problems, and then it was these problems I used every day. They were a real life saver! It was actually a very happy time. I was there with two or three younger sisters and with two or three older sisters. Sister Ernestine Palmer, who had taught me at St. John' s was there as a teacher. Sister Anne Frances Tighe was there. I got to go with her when she went to visit the Good Shepherd Sisters who were up on Troy Hill. They were enclosed. I saw the Magdalenes, and heard all about that Order. That was the end of 1930, and when I came back to Seton Hill, I was supposed to have been professed. Mother Rose Genevieve said: "My dear, if you don't soon go down to the professed sisters area, they'll think you' re not coming." So, with that being said, she escorted me to where the professed sisters resided. That was the end of my novitiate days. SBMG: So, in other words, the vows that you made, you made at Christmas time, so that on May third, you were automatically a professed sister. There was no other ceremony. I see. I guess I always thought that it was at Christmas time, that you became professed sisters. SSMCI: You were professed according to the five years that you had the habit. You made a three months postulancy. I entered on February second, and received the habit on May third, the Feast of the Holy Cross, which it no longer is. I would be professed then on May 3, 1930. SBMG: What was your first mission as a professed sister? Where did you go then? SSMCI: This is one of those things that you will also laugh at. I'm not trying to make these things up. They actually happened. When I came back from teaching at Holy Cross, Sharpsburg, I was told I would teach Senior High School English to a large group of Sisters. There must have been at least twenty-five in the class. Perhaps five or six of those were novices. All of the others were professed Sisters. Some of these were sisters who had taught me years before in St. John's Grade School. At that particular time in 1930, the Sisters of Charity had decided that everything had to be fixed up according to Harrisburg, PA. So wonderful sisters, young and old were put through sometimes a couple of high school classes for the second time. This was very hard on the sisters. If there was any doubt that a particular class would receive the proper credits, the class was repeated over sometimes for the third time. I would often look at those dear old sisters who had taught me and would just wonder.....why! I took my senior notes from Mother Claudia's English class and centered my teaching around these notes. Nothing could be better! I took the novices aside separately as they were my friends, many of whom were with me in grade school, but took the Commercial Course at Saint Augustine's, and therefore didn1t have Senior High School English. They had to take this English Course from little old me. However, I said to them: ''Now if you're going to take this course, you're going to take it from me. You're novices, and you're young. So, everything I teach you, and everything you're supposed to do, I'll expect it from you." There are going to be two sets of colored sheets in this class. Don't ask any questions. You just do your kind. I'11 help you if I can. I would look down at times and see an older sister's head down on her chest. I felt very bad about that. After about two days, I went to Sister Aloysius Blakely, who was in charge of summer school. I knew Sister from being around Seton Hill. She was a wonderful person. I told Sister Aloysius that she probably would want to change teachers of that class. She said: "Oh, I would, would I. What makes you think I should?" I said: "Well, I just want you to know that I don't intend to give Sisters, who know more than I'll ever know in my entire life, a test that would possibly give them a low grade. So, if that's cheating, so be it." I realize Sister Aloysius that we just recently had a lecture telling us that we had to teach our sisters using the same guidelines as those used to teach the girls in the college. Sister Aloysius stood very tall. She rifled through a few papers and then said to me: "I don't know why you're bothering me in the middle of the afternoon. Go and teach your classes the way you're supposed to teach classes and teachers don't bother telling other teachers what they are doing." That was my permission to do what I pleased with that class. We had a happy time. I tried to help those sisters. Some few of them, all are deceased now, used to tell me years later that they enjoyed that class, that I had been sympathetic. That was the summer of 1930. Then you asked me where I first went on mission after profession. At the end of that summer, I was sent to St. John's in Scottdale. Sister Angelica Little, who was a-wonderful English teacher, was changed, so I was sent in her place. Sister Marietta Flynn, a very fine Spanish teacher and Sister Mary Paul Coleman, an excellent History teacher were changed, and so I was sent in their place. I believe these sisters did other things besides teaching. However, I was sent to do the teaching work of these three very fine teachers. SBMG: It is now September 17. 1986 Sister Suzanne, your first mission after you were professed was at St. John the Baptist High School in Scottdale. Would you like to tell me something about that? SSMCI: I think I mentioned something about taking three peoples' places. I don't want anyone to misunderstand me. It just so happened that those sisters were needed in some high school in Pittsburgh. Incidentally, Sacred Heart was going to start a special program which would require an expert, so Sister Angelica Little, went to Sacred Heart. I don't know at this time where Sister Marietta Flynn went. However, I was missioned to Scottdale after receiving my BA. At that time, as I told you, we were working very hard on sisters' requirements. So I set an example for other sisters by continuing my education. We were probably one of the best Apprenticed Teachers Groups in the country, thanks to Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers, Sister Aloysius Blakely, Sister Jane Elizabeth Smith, Sister Mary Cyril Aaron, and Sister M. Eucharia O'Hagan. Sister Mary Reginald Farrell also contributed by being a faithful secretary and keeper of the files. I was sent to teach English, Spanish, some History, and my home room Religion. There were other side jobs that the sisters had, such as directing singing. Now, Sister Angelica had and still has a beautiful singing voice and is very knowledgeable regarding the piano. You can imagine my taking the singing over, but that's what was so. Sister Harriet Omlor was accompanist, but she had a chronic sinus condition and did not sing.....ever ! She simply said: "Oh yes, Sister Angelica always taught the singing. I just played the piano." I didn't know exactly what I would do. I could never teach singing from notes. Well, we decided to go through all of the songs, and picked out the ones I knew by heart. These were the songs which we used for the remainder of the year, and it turned out pretty well. Sister M. Joanna Gleason came the following year. She played the piano, so she could do things better. I have to say that I did enjoy the singing classes, and the children liked to sing. Sister Angelica also had the school paper, which was a new thing added to my duties. I worked along with that as best I could. Sister Marietta Flynn, who taught Spanish, also taught the girls' basketball team. Fortunately, as had been done by Sister Angelica, Sister Marietta had also trained the students well, so that the girls took over the coaching, and I did the supervising. I decided that one of the best, healthiest, things to do in a physical education program was to take long walks out to the cemetery and around the parish grounds. I don't know who took care of the boys. I had nothing to do with teaching them physical education, thank God. Another of Sister Angelica's jobs which became mine was the library. Again, it was a beautiful library. It was set up with the help of the sisters at Seton Hill and help from the parish. Father Lambing had the high school built on top of the grade school with provisions for a very fine library. The high school lasted until 1933. Father Lambing was deceased at this time, but I don't think that he would have let it close, ifhe was living. To sum up then: I had English, Spanish, American History, my home room Religion, the Library, Music, and class plays. I'm not being a martyr. I managed that year with a lot of fun. We had a number of good sisters there. We even inaugurated during that year, with the help of Sister Rita Catherine Cole, Mother Seton Clubs on the order that Mother Claudia had when I was in high school. At that time, our main business was to do the works of Charity....visiting the sick, caring for people, etc. I felt that the children at St. John's in Scottdale did a wonderful job. During that first year, there was a young couple who had a really sad disappointment. The young man had lost both of his legs at work due to an accident. They had a two year old child. He was at home for a long time and was very depressed. His wife took care of him. The boys and girls from St. John the Baptist helped that family out. They went to the home two or three times a week. always on Saturdays to relieve the young mother so that she could go out to shop, to visit her own home, etc. The boys kept the young man entertained in his own bedroom by getting him interested in other things. The girls took care of the baby and the boys and girls cleaned the kitchen and bathroom. That was one incident. There were others besides that. Understand that I was working with some remarkable students, who later entered the Community: Like, Mary Watson, later to become Mother Richard Ann, Sister M. Germaine Helwig, Sister Frances Louise Honeychuck, and my own postulant, Sister Agnes Joseph Hines. I was thinking the other day that we have had at least twenty vocations to the community from Scottdale. It would seem to me, that having a high school in a parish is a plus. I can't leave St. John the Baptist without talking about Father Lambing. He was a very spiritual man and a wonderful Religion teacher. His instructions were intellectual, theological, nothing none sensible about it. He had a marvelous memory. He'd send a boy over for a book he wanted, direct him to the shelf, and the page on which was the answer to the question he had in mind....no need to get the book. He loved St. John the Baptist High School. Whatever any other high school had, St. John's would also have. So, when debates were put in the high schools by Father Coakley, we thought that they were too far away for us to take part in them. We didn't count on Father Lambing. We couldn't give him that excuse at all. Therefore, we did participate in the debates in Pittsburgh. That's when I learned not to sleep very well in the early part of the night. I sat in front of stoves long into the night at Scottdale. We did well in these debates. We even defeated Sacred Heart, which was a terrible thing. We. never should have done it. We also went to other areas which were having debates, such as: Uniontown, Connellsville, St. Justin's, etc. Toward the end of the second year, Father Lambing was seriously ill. In fact, he was a dying man. I asked the Curate ( don't remember his name at this time) ifhe could persuade Father Lambing to cease being on the debate teams. Father Lambing said: "Oh no, my sickness has nothing to do with the children in the high school. They're not to be made suffer in any way. Even should I die, just go on with the regular schedule. These debates were a very fine beginning for the catholic forensic league which was inaugurated in the dioceses some years later with the help of Sister Rosalee O'Hara. I don't know of anything else that I should say about St. John's except that we had a lovely convent, wonderful sisters, great grade and high school. The old church was quite small, but packed to the hilt for all services. I was there for two years. By March of 1933, I had to go into Pittsburgh hospital due to severe back problems. That was the end of my days at St. John the Baptist. The high school closed at the end of the 1933 school year. After the death of Father Lambing, Father Grainey, the new pastor, didn't feel that he could financially continue to keep the high school open. I was hospitalized for three months with the back trouble so that when it came time for the new school year to start, I was sent to the DePaul Institute for the Deaf simply because there was no room for me at Seton Hill. We didn't have Assumption Hall yet at that time. It was a wonderful experience for me. It gave me that extra something that I always brag about......teaching from first grade on, also teaching the deaf. I was given charge of a dear little; five year old girl for a short time, who had decided early on that she didn't care about eating. Therefore, she would just sit at the table with her little lips closed and wouldn't eat. Well, this couldn't continue to go on. In those days the children stayed at De Paul over night. She was from a little town. I was there with not much to do except to entertain the boys on Saturday afternoons by writing the ball scores on the board and keep them happy while they tried to get some news as to how the games were progressing. Well after a while Sister Teresa Vincent Mahoney and Sister M. Bernadette Hayes told me that I could be a great help to them. They asked if I would sit with Lelona ( the five year old girl previously mentioned) while she ate her lunch. Today, when it's lunch time, you just sit there too. We're going to tell Lelona that she will have to sit at the table until she eats. Here I was with nothing else to do. The sisters thought that this would be the end of the eating problem with Lelona. I hate to tell you, but by two-thirty going on three PM, I was completely exhausted. I tried in every way I knew to make an impression on Lelona as to why she needed to eat. first by being sweet and then by being severe. I never got anything but a black look from Lelona. The sisters laughed. They said: "Well, there's one person you can't do anything with." However, while I was there, Sister Teresa Vincent and Sister Emmanuel Manning often talked about the fact that Sister Emmanuel was never able to get any class work towards her Master's Degree as she had to teach, and the classes were always offered in the morning. I happened to say: "Too bad I can't do anything. I just feel terrible." Sister Teresa Vincent who knew me very well said: "And why can't you?" I said: "Well, I can't teach the deaf." She said: "Oh yes you can!" lfyou can teach, there's nothing about teaching the deaf here that you wouldn't do with anyone else. We don't use sign language here, so what do you think we do? They're used to reading your lips, provided that you stand with your face to the window. They can see the light on your face. Make sure you don't mouth anything. Just talk naturally. Well, I really thought that was strange, but if she was willing to have me, I would do it. I had a semester of teaching three wonderful people a young man who got his PHD from Carnegie Mellon and from a university way out in the west, working in scientific, electronic things, another young man who wasn't interested in getting a PHD, but rather in having a business of his own, which he indeed has out in Lawrenceville, and Anna May, who had really just lost her hearing as a child. So, her speech wasn't completely gone. She just wanted to be a very fine woman...get married and have a family. That's exactly what she did. I taught these three students all morning. It was an enjoyable experience for me and it helped Sister Emmanuel Manning to get her classes that she needed. Sister M. Bernadette Hayes was a real mother to me. Sister Marie Antonio McLinden let me get away with murder when we had recreation. You know she used to be a little severe. When we had recreation, I used to go up, put on the music, and get Sister Teresa Vincent Mahoney to dance with me. Other sisters joined in the dancing...Sister Mary McClory and Sister Rosaline Walsh were wonderful dancers. Sister Marie Antonio would just sit, rocking during recreation watching us. This came to an end when a call came from Sister M. Emily Miller in Tucson, Arizona stating that we would have to take the junior high or she would have to come home....couldn't stand it any longer. The priests had been running it in between their priestly duties. That was hard on teaching, discipline, on everything at the other end of the hall. Sister Emily said that we (the community)-had to take care of the entire school. The priests would be welcome to visit, teach, etc. anytime. So, on February 14, 1934, I arrived via train, after being sick from Chicago out to Tucson, where I spent nine and a half of the happiest years in my life. I was not included in the list of six names of the sisters who opened the school in 1933. These sisters taught grades one through six. Between September and October things got to be too much. There was a seventh and eighth grade at the other end of the hall, but these were not under Sister Emily. Rather, they were taught by Father Patterson, who was a very good Benedictine, and Father Gattis, the priest who had invited the Community there to teach. They were both good men, but as mentioned, their priestly duties took precedence over the teaching. The children were very undisciplined. If they felt like sliding down the stair-way railing, they did so. They paid no attention to any correction made by another teacher. I came in time for dinner on February 14, 1934, and was teaching by one o'clock PM the next day. SBMG: Sister Suzanne, Could you tell me a little bit more about how your going to Tucson came about and then go on to tell about some of the things that occurred during your time in the West? SSMCI: I may be repeating, but at that particular time in Tucson they needed someone to help Sister Emily Miller out in the junior high. My time at De Paul, even though I helped out, was really a time of recuperation. I was just twenty-seven years old, a little young for retirement, so when the call came from Sister Emily in Tucson, it was decided that perhaps the sun in Arizona would be good for me. Having consulted with m-y sisters before they said anything to me, and finding that Irene thought it would be good for my health, and also after consultation with Mother Claudia Glenn, who was my sponsor, ( she was Sister Claudia at the time), they then informed me that I was going to Tucson, Arizona. I felt a little sad leaving De Paul, but I knew that without further education, it wouldn't be possible for me to continue work with the deaf. Most sisters traveled alone when they went West, but they sent Sister Hildegarde Eichenlaub with me, probably due to my frail health. Sister Hildegarde and I went out via regular coach. Sister Francis Joseph Malloy and Sister M. Romano Donovan fixed us a very nice lunch. My brother, John, who had lived in Chicago for several years was very happy to meet us and take us to dinner. He became very disturbed with me because I wouldn't eat a full meal. I settled for a sandwich. Sister Hildegarde did enjoy the steak dinner, as did John and his companion. We then took a train for the remainder of the trip to Arizona. As mentioned earlier, I was ill. spent much time in the rest room. We arrived about five o'clock PM on Valentine's Day. It was a beautiful evening, The sun was shining brightly. The sisters in the house extended a very cordial welcome to me. They were: Sister M. Emily Miller, Sister Cecelia Vincent McCartney, Sister M. Ermanilda Knepley, Sister Francis Mary Coleman, Sister Mary Estelle Hensler, Sister Mary Inez Clark, Sister Rose Catherine Ward, and Sister James Marie Malone. These sisters had been here since September, and I was to be added to the group. The next morning, Sister Emily suggested that we go up to see the rooms and be introduced to the children. About eleven o'clock AM, Sister Emily said: "Sister Suzanne, do you think you could handle the seventh and eighth grades together this afternoon?" Whatever it is in me, I don't very often say "No" in the community, so I said:"Surely Sister, I'll try." Sister Emily was grateful because it gave her an opportunity to take Sister Hildegarde around to see some of the sights in Arizona. I didn't know what I was going to teach. We pushed all of the desks into the eighth grade classroom. I happened to spy someone's desk which needed to be straightened up, so we cleaned desks according to a system my system, which demanded that every book did this and every paper did that etc. So we were all kept very busy. They were all very well behaved and seemed to be happy enough. One little girl looked a little sad, but she didn't say anything. I noticed that her desk was very untidy and I was nasty enough to say: "Well, I hope your drawers at home don't look like that." I suppose I learned this from my experience with Lelona at De Paul. I was a very brash, young sister and of course over the years learned when or not when to say anything. Anyhow, that was the end ofmy first day. The next day I was in what was my regular classroom, the seventh grade, for about an hour and a half when Father Patterson came to the door and said:"Sister, there' s a lady downstairs who would like to speak to you." Well, I had just begun to learn names and had things settled and thought it wouldn't be good to leave and besides I had been well trained at St. Philip's in Crafton. Neither Sister M. Beatrice Gority nor Father Kelty would have approved of that, and you always held Father Kelty above your principal. So, I said:"Father, I just came to Tucson and don't know anyone. Take all that business to Sister M. Emily Miller. She's the principal." He said: "Oh go on now!" Well, to make a long story short, I finally said:"If you stay in this classroom and promise not to leave it, I'll go downstairs." I went downstairs and stood very severe at the door and looked at a very lovely woman who also looked at me a little strange. Finally, I said:"I don't know you and you don't know me, so what could your business be on the first day?" She said:"Well, my little girl feels that she will have to leave this school." I said:"Does your little girl always tell you what she's going to do?" Well Sister, she feels that you don't like her. I said:"I think she's a little conceited. How could I dislike her when I don't even know her?" I'm too busy to talk about that now. If you want to talk to the principal, alright, but I have to go back whether your young daughter wants to stay in the school or not. Then she smiled and said:"Oh Sister, we w on' t talk about it today. I'll talk to Madeleine." It turns out that Madeleine had described the very tall, jovial sister (Sister Hildegarde) who looked like she would be hard on children. I hadn't made any impression at all. So Madeleine and I became the best of friends. She was a lovely girl. Mrs. Johnston ( her mother ) has always been my best friend. Sister Brigid Marie, would you like to see Mrs. Johnston's picture? SBMG: Surely. Was she the little girl whom you told that her desk was untidy? SSMCI: Madeleine was the little girl, and she turned out to be a perfect lady and a wonderful sweet girl. I have her marriage picture, and ifl can find it, I'll show it to you also. Mrs. Johnston' s picture is when she came to Pittsburgh to visit me and gave me a birthday party at The Gateway Towers. SBMG: When did she come and have the birthday party for you? Do you remember the year that would have been? SSMCI: Mrs. Johnston came to New York first to bring her daughter-in-law in hopes that she would cheer up and benefit from the trip. Mrs. Johnston's only son had been married to this woman, but was killed in World War II during one of his parachuting expeditions. I knew the son also who had written a letter to me saying that he was going to take me on a trip to Rome. I was teaching at Seton Hill at the time, so that was in the 1960's. SBMG: Sister Suzanne, could you tell me something about the convent that the sisters lived in? I know that it was a regular house. Tell me about your life there, not having air-conditioning and . things that went with being a pioneer. SSMCI: We were pioneers, but we were so happy that we didn't find too much fault with the lack of things. It was a family unit, in fact a small one. It had two bedrooms, a bath, a living room, a dining room right close to the living room. When a sister had a phone call at meal time, one would have to get up to let the other one out. Next to the dining room was a not too small kitchen. It had a refrigerator that would accommodate perhaps two people, but not for a house full of eight or nine nuns who wanted ice-water. We never thought of it. We walked up to the school cafeteria to get ice. Sister Rose Catherine Ward was there the first year and she would get the ice. After that, we had Sister Mary Terence Clancy. She went up to the school regularly. One day, Father Davis, later Archbishop Davis was there. He asked Sister Mary Terence why she had come up to the school and Sister told him that she needed to get ice for the sisters because we were without it. The next day, Steinfelt's big truck drove up to the convent and presented us with a good sized refrigerator which Sister Emily didn' t know anything about. She was very much upset, and we couldn ' t understand why she was upset. She was a wonderful Sister Servant and Principal. She kept all of her worries to herself. She told us very emphatically that we were to ask for nothing. It wasn't until sometime later that we found out that Father Davis was not a good administrator regarding money matters. Getting money was not a priority with him. He was later replaced by Archbishop Green. We had a very fine music program at that time. Sister Mary Inez Clark took care of it. I really don't have any official information, but I feel that the money brought in by Sister Mary Inez took care of our expenses. When we returned to Seton Hill for the summer, we were expecting to go back to a new convent. Father Patterson was not able to dispose of the old convent. People objected to the fact that the people he had intended to sell it to were going to use the facility for a Rest Home. So, for a while, we were to live in the old house. However, during the Summer, Father Patterson began to have construction of an addition which · provided four bedrooms in the front of the house and garages in the rear·of the house. The older sisters came out to Arizona via automobile, which was donated by Sister Mary Inez' parents. Sister Mary Inez was the driver. This was the first car which the Community had. Those of us who went out by train, went out the day before. We stopped off in Chicago where my brother lives. We stayed at the Mercy's Business Women' s House overnight. We were very giddy the next morning. We weren't sure we were in a catholic church. The priest's Latin was okay, but.he had black vestments on, a woman was saying the Stations of the Cross, and an unrecognizable hymn was being sung from the gallery. Remember, this was in 1935, long before Vatican Il. At that time, Pittsburgh Diocese was remarkable. We had Father Rossini who was in charge of the music in the diocese. If you didn' t walk the chalk line, regarding the liturgy, the name of your parish was listed in the Pittsburgh Catholic. Father Coakley was put off the air because he didn' t agree with all of Father Rossini's directives. Because of our education and instruction regarding the Liturgy, we were- overcome that morning in Chicago. To backtrack a bit, my brother met us the day we arrived in Chicago. He took us to dinner and then afterwards to the Mercy' s Business Women's House overnight. My brother took us for a ride around Chicago after dinner. We. almost lost Sister Mary Terence Clancy. She and I were sitting in the front seat of the car. As we went around a comer, the car door flew open! I held on to her apron and my brother did everything he could to help. We did rescue her. After breakfast the next morning, we took the train to Tucson. When we got to the convent, the four bedrooms were completed, but there was much to be done by way of cleaning up. We were very much afraid that Sister Emily wouldn't like this and would have expected Father Patterson to call and perhaps have us wait for a month before coming. So, we got to work and didn't complain as we didn' t want to be sent back East. We didn' t want to lose this mission. During the time it took the sisters who were coming via car, we managed to get things cleaned up with the help of my nice boys from the Junior High. We also decided that since we had such wonderful help that we would fix the Chapel up. So when Sister Emily arrived, she could see that we had painted the altar white and had freshened up the Chapel. After that it was on with the teaching. I taught Junior High which consisted of seventh, eighth, and ninth grade. That meant we taught Latin, Spanish, Literature as well as Grammar, as was taught in the Public Schools. SBMG: It is September 30, 1986. This is a continuation of the oral history for Sister Suzanne McIntyre. Sister Suzanne, I hope that you will be able to tell us more about your experiences in Tucson during those nine and a half years. SSMcl: I remember, I believe it was in 1937, that we participated in the National Spanish­ American Contest. We had two winners: Joseph Walsh won the first national prize, and John Swarlick won the first state prize. History was very important to the people in Tucson. I was presented with a bouquet of flowers ( as teacher ) for the occasion. Apart from the regular teaching, we had a lot of plays. While we were waiting for the car driven by Sister Mary Inez with Sister Emily and others to arrive, after we had completed cleaning and freshening up, we took a tour downtown, kindness of Father Patterson. We wanted some things for the chapel, which we did get...candle sticks and a Ciborium. We also discovered a beautiful Spanish seminary for boys ...St. Patrick' s. One of the big things we discovered was a large auditorium, not in very good condition, but nonetheless there. It had a full sized stage with stairs on either side. So, we convinced Father Patterson to obtain permission for us to hold plays there. It didn't take much coaxing. The Bishop gave full approval as did Monsignor (couldn't make out his name, only that he was French), who was the pastor. We got our cleaning crew together and scrubbed everything. Some of the parents also helped. So we had a wonderful full school play...down to the first grade. I taught the "Minuet" to the first grade. I've forgotten all the details of it, but everyone said it was great! Besides using that auditorium for plays, we introduced a lot of people to that hall, one of whom was a professor from "The University of Arizona." His name I believe was Fitzgerald. He had graduated from " Gregorian University" in Rome. He had considered being a priest, but health problems prevented his doing this. He was out in Arizona due to his health. He married a woman, who kept him stepping. He wanted to teach teachers who did not yet have their degree. In those days, you could teach if you had taken a two year course. Nevertheless, he willing taught these teachers at four thirty PM daily. Not too many people would do this. So, I and some of the other sisters attended Mr. Fitzgerald' s classes. I already had my degree, but always enjoyed taking courses. We had marvelous classes in Poetry...American and English, mostly English. He never needed a book. He had everything memorized. Our classes in Shakespeare were outstanding. Mr. Fitzgerald also turned out to be quite an actor. Some time after I had left Tucson, he developed a very fine Tucson dramatic club. It' s quite a large center in town. I know it' s gone now, as it wasn't there when I visited Tucson in May. She doesn't say which May. Just to say that we had two happy years of using this auditorium for many school plays. While in Tucson, we were good friends with the High School personnel, and had a number of plays in the auditorium there. When Bishop Green came, he objected to the plays encompassing the entire school during the holy seasons. He wanted "The Upper Room", and only the ninth grade. Bishop Green and I became very fine friends, despite our differences in opinions. I spoke to Sister Emily, and she said"Don' t argue. Just have the play, and if it's a failure, Father will learn. If it's good, you'll be happy." It turned out to be a beautiful play. That's the last of the plays that I remember. We had clubs at St. Peter and Paul. First of all, I introduced the Mother Seton club. I was always proud to say that I was a student at Sacred Heart in Mother Claudia Glenn's class when she began the Mother Seton club. They were just seventh, eighth, and ninth graders, but were very proud to be in the club. We had ribbons with insignias on. So we had Mother Seton girls. In a few years, we had the boys complaining that the girls got everything. So, said I: "Would you like to be Knights of Seton?" Absolutely was the boys reply. Well, a mother of two of the boys asked me ifl would like something for the boys, and of course my reply was in the affirmative. She had real gold with blue insert pins made with the letters K OF S on them... Nothing like them. The girls were sort of woebegone about it. We needed a library, so we turned the room which had been the resting room for the sisters into a library. The Knights of Seton were a tremendous help in getting this room together. The girls helped too, but it was the boys who did the heavy work required. Sister Melania Grace, our librarian at Seton Hill sent me all the information needed to have the library be a proper one. We did have a good library, but we had no librarian in it all day long. I was teaching school all day. So was Sister Emily and everyone else. The Mother Seton Club (Girls) and the Knights of Seton (Boys) were a big help. The Knights of Seton were the most helpful. They kept Court once a week for those who got into any trouble. Other than assisting in the library, the boys and the girls did the usual things that were part of being in a Mother Seton Club home and hospital visiting, etc. I should mention here, that we were the first school to win "The Golden Eagle" award for Girl Scouts. SSMcl: Sister Brigid Marie, may I read you a letter written to me by a woman whom we taught in Arizona expressing her gratitude and thankfulness to the Sisters of Charity? SBMG: Certainly. That would be wonderful! To the Sisters of Charity at St. Peter and Paul School in the 1930'2: Throughout my life, I often think of how lucky I was to have been taught by you. You really gave us a great education in every way. Like Hallmark, you cared enough about us to give us your very best. I especially remember Sister Mary Felix Clarey who taught me in the fourth grade. I think she was my favorite because she was genuinely happy to see you every day of the year. I also remember Sister Estelle Hensler teaching us about the great artists on little cards. It was then that I decided that Raphael was my favorite painter. The day it snowed, when we got out early to play those were Sister Emily's orders, practicing and singing every year in the Lenten and Easter procession, every May bringing flowers for the Blessed Mother Statue, singing "Oh Mary, We Crown Thee With Blossoms Today", having our May crowning out on the front lawn ( a prized area). These are all such wonderful things to remember. How we all loved to have read Chesterton Brown's stories to us on rainy days! Sister Suzanne would tell us how far ahead of the public schools we were. When I had to transfer to a public school I found out how true that was. I made straight A' s the first year without even trying. I also recall how Sister Mary Inez Clark taught us some things about Music. But most of all, you taught us about God. I live a very simple life. I've been smart enough to know that loving God and trying to serve Him, trusting everything to Him is all that matters. He has never let me down. I learned this trust, this sureness of God from you, and I could never thank you enough for that. I don' t know how anyone makes it through this life without God. Every time I meet someone who is unsure of Him, I think to myself: "There but for the grace of God through the Sisters of Charity, go I." Thank You Very Much, Norma Kennyport I would like to mention the time and effort that Sister James Marie Malone spent working with the boys on their sports. Sister James Marie was a martyr to the cause, but was the apple of the boys' eyes. Day after day, hour after hour she was out in the sun. Then at night, she spent hours getting her clothes clean. I used to wonder how she did it, though she said she enjoyed it. She explained how this love for ball sports came about. When she was very young, her mother died. Her Father used to take care of his little girls her and her sister Rosella by taking them on Saturdays and Sundays to the ball games. She could tell you every single, solitary thing that happened in a game. When Father Patterson discovered her love for sports, he gave her the sports magazine w eekly. Our habits were not quite suitable for the Arizona climate. When we went back to Pennsylvania for the summer, Sister Mary Gerald Conley, who was in charge of the clothes room for the Community, had found soft, washable, black fabric and it was agreed that we would do away with the back pleats to allow for a little more comfort. We wore these habits during the week while teaching, but of course on Saturdays, Sundays, and other special days, we wore our regular habits. Every Wednesday we went to the Childrens' Hospital. From that day until now, I can never see a banana without thinking of little Bobby. There were two sections. One was where the children were crippled in some way. The other is where the children had some form of Tuberculosis. There was some concern about going to this part. However, I have never been afraid of anything, so I took the Tuberculosis section. Bobby was my favorite little patient. He was always lying on what I would describe as an ironing board, with a hole in the top for his little head to look down in. He had to lie on his stomach constantly. After observing his tray for a period of three weeks or so, I noticed that he always got a half of a banana. There was a lovely, older nurse who worked there, and when I asked her about this, she explained that Bobby had a difficult time eating meat. So, eating the banana every day helped to take care of the need in his body. This elderly nurse was a war nurse. I discovered this after receiving a letter from her in which she said how much she enjoyed my visit to the hospital every Wednesday. She sent me a magnificent Hummel from Germany. Some years later I was told that Margaret (nurse' s name) was seriously ill in the Bethesda Hospital. I traveled with Sister Agnes Joseph Hines to Bethesda. Sister was visiting with her sister, and I visited with Margaret at the Bethesda Hospital. I remember Margaret saying that she was very pleased with Mother Seton, but that she wasn' t going to ask for any special favor. I think she knew her condition, and would just be happy with a very peaceful death. She looked at me very deliberately and said: "If you want me to pray to Mother Seton for a cure, I will do so earnestly." She didn' t receive a cure, but had a peaceful death. I believe that having a peaceful death was the cure Margaret received. Going back to Arizona now I had a boy in the seventh grade who came from New York. His mother was out there due to a severe arthritic condition. I went to see her a few times. One time I hadn' t any medals, but I had a little red book. It had a picture of Mother Seton on the inside. When I went back to see her a week or so later, she said: "Sister, I hope you won' t be offended, but I tore the picture of Mother Seton out of the book you gave me." I said: "Well, dear I left the book with you to do as you like. It is yours." I'm sure that you had a good reason for tearing the picture out of the book. Then she told me why she had done this. She said: "There is a young man down the hall so very crippled up with arthritis that they can't do anything for him. During the night a terrible thing happened to him in his abdomen. His sister ,who is a nurse came over and told me that the doctors said there was no hope for her brother. At the hospital, the doctors said that the only possibility of saving her brother would be if they could operate on him. They felt that he had some sort of obstruction. However, his arthritic condition was so severe that they weren't sure they would be able to operate. The sister came to the woman to ask her to pray for her brother. The woman thought of the picture of Mother Seton and gave it to the sister saying: "Here, you put this picture of Mother Seton under your brother's pillow. I'll pray to Mother Seton and you pray too." So the sister took the picture to the hospital, knelt and prayed all night with a picture of Mother Seton in one hand and a crucifix in the other. The next morning, the doctors were to make their final decision about surgery. They couldn't believe the change in the boy's condition and had no medical explanation for his recovery. There was no need for surgery. He continued to have his arthritic condition. I know I had much to say about our teaching, but would like to add something about the teaching we did outside of the class room situation. We went to Children's Hospital on Wednesdays. On Saturdays, the Sisters went to the pre-ventorium. I didn't go there. I did remedial teaching on Saturdays. On Sundays, we taught the deaf and the blind. SBMG: Well then, how was it that you left St. Peter and Paul's? Did you come back East from there? SSMcI: Oh, before I leave St. Peter and Paul's, you have to hear about my summers. We did some of the most important things during those summers. In the Summer of 1935, which was my first summer there, I went to California as a companion to Sister Mary Felix Clarey, to visit Sister's brother, Father Hyacinth, whom she hadn't seen for years. Sister Mary Felix had planned to have this trip for a long time.· The morning we were to leave, I accidentally knocked my glasses on the floor, breaking them. Sister Mary Felix said: "Take your glass prescription with you. You are going to California." Father Hyacinth (her brother) met us in San Diego. The first thing he had to do was find an oculist for me to have my glasses taken care of. The World's Fair was in San Diego that year. I of course went to it and enjoyed every minute of it. From San Diego, we went up to Sierra Madre. We went to visit the Japanese Maryknoll Sisters in Pasadena. They have a Rest Home or Hospital there for their sisters and for other people too. I saw their little Sister Suzanna. She was about my size. She was a patient there. We became friends. I must admit I was a little bit ignorant in asking Sister Suzanna how long she and her family had been catholic. She looked at me very sweetly, smiled and said: "Sister we go back to St. Francis Xavier. My family lived on the island that he gave instructions to." She made me feel so small, not intentionally, but she could trace her catholic ancestry back over three hundred years, and I don't know where my great grandfather came from. My connection with Sister Suzanna was before the war. She became a prisoner of war in Arizona some years later during the second world war. She was in a camp with about seven others. It certainly wasn't cruel like the war camps in Europe, but they were not treated very nicely either. We went to a popular beach on the Pacific Ocean (I couldn't determine the name of it) while in California. This resort area belonged to a wealthy oil man who the Passionists knew. So, Father Hyacinth was able to make reservations for us to stay at the cottage (was really a beautiful home) belonging to this gentleman. I have never before nor.since lived in such a luxurious place. We had three weeks there. It was glorious! I've never been too fond of the Atlantic Ocean since this experience. The Pacific Ocean is peaceful and calm whereas the Atlantic is rather rough. That was the end of the 1935 Summer. The next Summer, 1936, Father Hyacinth felt that we should have another enjoyable one. That Summer, Father Hyacinth came for us. He brought with him a French, Japanese gentleman driving the car. We went via Reno all along the coast where the Missions were located. I got to see all of them. We had a frightening experience along the way. I could see a great deal of fog, but our lights didn't seem to be doing any good. I knew something was wrong. Sister Mary Felix was getting nervous as she knew that Father Hyacinth would be upset at my saying something. However, Sister Mary Felix finally said: ''Now listen Raymond (he was the French, Japanese gentleman), you'll just have to listen to Sister Suzanne. If you don't, she's just going to make us a nervous wreck." So, Father Hyacinth instructed Raymond to stop the car. Sure enough, our lights were dead. So after traveling very slowly, we came upon what looked like an army camp. They fixed our lights and we were on our way. We were supposed to be in Sierra Madre, but this wasn't possible. We stayed in a Motel over night. Sister, I can't remember what happened in 1938. One thing that we did do that Summer was to go to Chandler, at Father Patterson's request to teach the Mexican children Religion. Sister James Marie Malone and I did this. Father wanted us to live in a remote area, which would have made things difficult for us. Father Patterson maintained that he would come and take us to Church, shopping, etc. However, I persisted in telling him that we were not going to do this, and that surely there was somewhere we could live during those summer weeks. We ended up in what really was a shack. We scrubbed and cleaned, with the help of some older boys who lived in the area. That was a real experience that summer. My sisters decided, of all things to come to visit me that summer. I made the Sacred Heart Novena. It surely is powerful. There was a woman who lived nearby. Her husband was a newspaper editor. He was not a catholic, but she was. She wanted to know if there was anything she could do to help. I told her about my sisters coming and she said they would be welcome to stay at her house. She said she had a spare bedroom with a private bathroom, which they would be welcome to. So the problem was solved. Father Patterson saw to it that they had a trip to the Grand Canyon. Irene and Mary (my sisters) said that was the best trip they had in their entire life. They thought Father Patterson was wonderful. Irene and Mary bought some First Communion clothes for the little Mexicans. They were a large Communion class. There were thirty-nine children, ages nine to nineteen. Sister James Marie had a class of seven and eight year olds, who also made their First Holy Communion. They were all very polite children. Sister Rita Ann Woods was also with us. She worked upstairs with the babies teaching them to sing. I went back the next year with: Sister James Marie Malone, Sister Mary Cletus Murphy, and Sister Rita Ann Woods. This year, Father Patterson would not permitted us to go back and live in the shack which we inhabited the previous summer. We had made our point. The people in Chandler were impressed that we would live the way we did for their children. A lovely young family went to Father and said that they were going East for the entire summer, so the sisters will be welcome to stay at our house. We lived in a nice, comfortable, place that summer. The couple made no restrictions regarding the use of things. We were never neglected by the people even when living in the shack. For example, every morning we would find fresh grapefruit outside our door, and even though it was not good grapefruit season for eating, we had delicious freshly squeezed juice. Father Patterson himself, who was once a Benedictine, would never let himself forget how the .people lived. He was no longer a Benedictine, due to health problems. The third year we went back, Sister Mary Cletus Murphy was not with us. We were: Myself, Sister James Marie and Sister Ann AugQ.Sta Schroth. We lived in a different house that summer. It was someone's house again. That seemed to start a pattern. This was a much larger house with lots of room. We didn't get any company from the East as last summer when my sisters Irene and Mary came. Sister Ann Augusta had to have an emergency appendectomy that summer. We always had large classes in the summers. I should say that we managed to have Mother Seton Clubs during our summers, so we were spreading devotion to Mother Seton in Tucson and in Chandler. So, I had three happy summers teaching Religion in Chandler. For some reason, I believe Father Patterson was negotiating to start a regular school in Chandler, so we didn't go back to Chandler the fourth summer. In Tucson, they had started a CCD program by that time. I was asked to be principal of the Junior High CCD. We had the use of the public school buildings and facilities for the summer. We had eight grades. There were: Two Sisters of St. Joseph, one Immaculate sister, who taught the Music and a class, two volunteer teachers who taught there during the school year, and some High School girls, whom I had taught. The enrollment that summer was about three hundred. This was the year of 1941 when I didn't have an assignment in Chandler. The summer of 1942, we went to Ajo. In the beginning, we lived in luxury in the house of someone who had gone East as in Chandler. In Ajo, the Copper Company had built a beautiful church...The Immaculate Conception. There was a large hall which was very adequate for our teaching. Sister Dominica O'Connor was with me that summer. However, Sister Dominica became quite ill with Rheumatic Fever and had to be hospitalized. She was not permitted to teach for the remainder of the summer. Father Connare (the priest who had invited the sisters to teach for the summer) was concerned about proper accommodations for Sister Dominica, so he graciously moved into the house where we were staying, and we moved into the Rectory. Both in Ajo and Chandler, we found that the people had great devotion to the Blessed Mother, particularly to May devotions. When June came, the people in both places also were deeply devoted to the Sacred Heart. As a - result, I learned many hymns in Spanish to Mary and many to Jesus. SBMG: Sister, I was wondering if you spoke Spanish to the people in Chandler and Ajo when you were there. SSMcl: When I could make myself understood I sometimes spoke Spanish. However, we were working on the principle that the children had to be educated in English. Therefore, we spoke English more frequently. I also want to say here that the people in Ajo were educated. They had a fine school. They were also religious. They had many religious customs, as in May devotions. They had a procession every night. This also happened in June for devotion to the Sacred Heart. SSMcl: When I returned to Tucson after being in Ajo the summer of 1943, I was told my ticket had been bought, and that I would take the train to Pennsylvania the next day. I said: "What is so important in Pennsylvania?" I did laugh, but I was angry. However, I said that I wouldn't go without stopping in Chicago to see my brand new niece. We did stop off, and stayed in Chicago. Then we went home. I had been out in Arizona from February of 1934 until June of 1943. I had a class of seven sisters in Spanish that summer at Seton Hill. The only name I'll mention is Sister Mary Eleanor Frederick , because the sister who the class was really for wasn't interested, but Sister Mary Eleanor and I had some good times. After the course was over, I went up to Erie with Sister Mary Dorcas Smith, my dear friend. Her family owned a cottage in Erie. So, we had an enjoyable week there. In those days, the Mission list (our assignments) were read in Cecilian Hall. As we weren't going to be there to hear our assignments, I ventured into Mother Claudia Glenn's office before leaving for Erie and asked if she could let me know my assignment. She said: "Oh yes, dear. You're going to go to Johnstown Central High School. Father Cauley wants you to teach a Spanish course there." Well Johnstown seemed to me to be farther away than Tucson. My first reaction was: "My sisters don't drive a car and it's harder to get to Johnstown than Tucson." They won't have any way to get there, nor would I be able to go home. Well, I cried for about fifteen minutes. Then as usual, Sister Mary Dorcas said: "Okay Suzanne, that's enough now. Dry the tears. Nothing is going to happen. Everything is going to be alright." I had an enjoyable time in Erie with Sister Mary Dorcas and her family. I came home and went to Johnstown. I was never sorry about those two years. They were happy ones. I lived with wonderful sisters, like Sister M. Gregory Farrell. The boys in the school were very fond of her and in fact, considered her to be saintly. I also lived with Sister Marguerite Guinagh who was very holy. So the three ofus then taught in the high school-Sister M. Gregory, Sister Marguerite and me (Sister Suzanne). We lived at Our Lady of Mercy convent in Prospect. It was a poor convent. In those years 1943, I suppose were war years. Sister M. Hortense Barclay, the superior would hurry to the store at noon with food stamps trying to buy enough substantial food for our dinner. The people didn't always know we were in need, but when they did, they would bring us loaves of home made bread. If you have this, it helps to take care of your need for food. We were definitely in a deprived situation, though I must admit I was never hungry. I must remind you of the great kindness of the sisters and of the people. We traveled to and from school via car. There was a young lady in the parish who generously and lovingly transported us daily to and from school. The high school was wonderful. Father Cauley was the principal and was indeed an excellent one. I had almost all boys with six girls in my Spanish class. I made just one mistake. I learned a great deal in those two years. The mistake was: One day, one youngster, for a little longer than I could put up with became annoying by interrupting. After giving him what I felt was fair warning, he persisted in this behavior. I simply said: "Take your books and leave. Report to Father Cauley's office at three-fifteen." I didn't ask anything else. I didn't give him a chance. In the high school at that time, we could put a finger on a little box which would connect us with the office. All I said at this time is that I was dismissing a certain young man(gave name). Father Cauley did try to speak to me about accepting the boy back in class, but I said, no, he can't return to my class. Father taught me a lesson by saying:"Don't speak quickly and tell someone they can't come back." He went on to say that the saddest part of the situation was that the young man had to graduate from a public high school. His family for three generations graduated from a catholic school. His mother is broken hearted that he will graduate from a public school. I was glad, some years later, to meet another young man from that class. He told me that the young man whom I had expelled was doing fine. He turned out to be a fme lawyer and a good catholic. He also told me that he ( boy who was expelled) thinks highly of me. I think it is interesting to note that I taught all boy classes while in Johnstown. I had all boy report rooms..freshman one year, juniors the next year, Religion, etc. It's really nice to teach boys' religion. They listen to what you have to say. It means something to them. The second year there I had an all boys history class. The only class which had a mixture of girls and boys in it was Spanish. SBMG: Sister Suzanne, you said that you were in Johnstown for two years. You became ill the Spring of the second year. Did that have anything to do with your leaving Johnstown? SSMcl: I don't know that it contributed to my having to leave, but nonetheless I left in the summer . At this time, I was under the care of Doctor Deptha in Pittsburgh. At the end of the summer, I was missioned to St. Luke's in Carnegie to teach Spanish. I had six very pleasant years in St. Luke's. I loved St. Luke's children. The reunion in 1985 was a remarkable thing when all those children came to the Hilton. I have a whole envelope of pictures about th(;! event. I went to St. Luke's in 1945 and was there until 1951. While in Carnegie, I worked with Sister Rosalee O'Hara on some speech projects. We also had debates. What I do remember about Carnegie is that it always reminded me of my own high school. While in Carnegie, I was with a lot of sisters who were my contemporaries. It made it very interesting to discuss, to argue, etc. We had Sister Rosalee O'Hara, Sister Mary Bernard O'Brien, Sister Marie George Abbot, Sister Alexine Beam, Sister Mary Rose Knorr, Sister Edith Marie Fullen, Sister Mary David Doyle, and Sister Marie Dolores Haney. As we know, these sisters were all good teachers. We all had strong personalities, so it made things interesting. Sister M. Emily Miller was our superior and a fine one at that. Sister Emily was like the rock of Gibraltar. What I remember about Sister Emily is that she had a dish at her place in the community room. Every day she would put change in it for people's possible needs. Today we would call that money petty cash. A sister remarked to her that it was pretty risky putting money out in that way. She replied: "Sister, every sister has taken a vow of poverty as I have. Each one can keep their vow of poverty. I don't have to keep anyone else' s." I forgot to mention Sister Mary Carlos Smith, who was our wonderful cook at St.Luke's for several years. I taught CCD work at St. Barbara's while in Carnegie. I liked being able to continue this ministry. SBMG: Sister Suzanne, you mentioned traveling to Pitt by train. Is that when you got your master' s degree? SSMcl: Yes Sister. Sister Marie George Abbot and I went to Pitt. In the summers, I stayed at DePaul Institute which was very much to my liking. Ifl hadn't had a sick spell I would have graduated the summer of 1949. I got my degree in August of 1951. I had a major in English and a minor in Spanish and History. SBMG: Where was your next assignment after St. Luke's in Carnegie? SSMcl: I was assigned to St. Jame' s in West End. For four months I had a happy time. I had the Junior boys and girls. We were getting along fine and then unfortunately I came up with a very painful arthritic condition. I was put in Pittsburgh hospital under the care of Dr. Ballantyne who I didn' t get along with. After being discharged, I went to Seton Hill to recuperate. This really began my career at Seton Hill. There was Miss Geyer who became very ill and died. So, I was given some of her courses to teach. Also, I had been helping Sister Miriam Joseph Murphy who went off to Wisconsin to work on her doctorate. I taught her classes in American literature, which she didn't like, but rather preferred English literature. I was then at Seton Hill this time from 1952-1962. Those ten years were very happy years at Seton Hill. I enjoyed all the advantages that there were from being at Seton Hill. SBMG: Then where did you go after you left teaching at Seton Hill college in 1962? SSMcI: Again, I had become ill. I had an exploratory operation in Pittsburgh hospital to determine the reason for my illness. As it turned out, they removed my gall bladder. I recovered from the surgery, but developed a kidney infection. After being discharged from the hospital, I was at Assumption Hall where I received wonderful care. Sister Philippa Henry and Sister Mary Carol Murphy were the nurses and saw to it that I was given such care. In 1963, Mother Claudia sent for me. At this time, she showed me a letter from my sister, Irene, requesting that I be permitted to go to the canonization of Mother Seton. I told Mother that I couldn' t go. She said: " You can' t?" I said: "Well, no, all the sisters ...all the sisters who are out on mission working hard, and I haven' t done a thing for a year." She then said: "Would you like to go?" I said: "Is there anyone who wouldn' t want to go?" Mother then said: "Well, just go out of obedience to satisfy your sisters." So I did. I was one of the twenty that the Community sent to the canonization. We started in Portugal at the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. So I got to pray for everyone there. Then we went to Rome and were very close to the Pope when he was saying Mass. In the afternoon at the Basilica, due to my size I would have been way back where it would not have been possible for me to see. However, I pretended not to understand the directions on my paper regarding seating arrangements and ended up sitting with Sister Macaria Nestor and Sister Mary Amy Connelly near the main altar that the Pope spoke from. They were waiting for me. The next place we went to was France. We went to the shrine where Our Blessed Lady had appeared to Saint Catherine Laboure. It was one of the most prayerful experiences I have ever had. We also got to pay our respects to Saint Vincent de Paul. The next day we took a train to Lourdes. Of all the sisters who were on the tour, only two took advantage of the bath at the shrine in Lourdes. One was a Daughter Of Charity from Missouri, and the other was Sister Suzanne McIntyre from Greensburg, Pennsylvania. It was a wonderful experience. I can't tell about it on this tape, but I do feel that I am alive today due to Our Lady Of Lourdes curing me. I gave orders at the hotel that I was to be called early in the morning. So I rose at six a.m. in order to be ready to go to the Basilica. From Lourdes we went to Ireland. When we got to Dublin, you knew it was Lent. In Dublin, morning, noon, and night, people were going to Mass and were looking like they were fasting. We were told that we were exempt from fasting as we were on a tour. Of all of us, about twenty sisters, I was the only one who returned home without getting sick. I didn' t so much as have a sniffle. That was Lourdes and all those holy places! When I returned to Greensburg (Assumption Hall), I wrote a letter to Sister Theodosia Murtha requesting to move over to Seton Hill and perhaps even teach some classes. So, in June of 1963, I went over to Seton Hill. I did teach one class in Children's Literature, and helped out at the main desk in the Administration Building. At the end of the summer, Mother Claudia Glenn sent for me and told me that I was going to go to Sacred Heart High School to teach Spanish. You understand I had been ten years at Seton Hill and had not taught one Spanish class. During those ten years, I had concentrated on American Literature, particularly in Wisconsin. I had taken other classes in Literature, Journalism, and Research, but nothing in Spanish. I did a little arguing about this to no avail. I landed at Sacred Heart in September. So I was back at my Alma Mater. I had a Freshman home room. I taught two classes of Senior English, two classes of Spanish, and a class of Freshman Religion. You will remember that John Kennedy was assassinated in November of that year. I had a sick spell which put me in the hospital for a week. I do feel that his death had something to do with this. As a result, when I returned home, my teaching schedule was greatly reduced. They kept me on that year to teach Spanish. However, after that year, I managed a full time schedule for a number of years. I'm still here at Sacred Heart, and I could go on for hours Sister Brigid Marie about all the wonderful people here. SBMG: What about your work with the Spanish Honor Society in Pittsburgh? I know you used to be very involved with it. SSMcl: Thank you, Sister. Yes, the AATSP, the American Association of Teachers for Spanish and Portuguese. I should never pass that up. For some reason or another, some lovely gentleman in New Jersey nominated me to be the National counselor for the AATSP. My first meeting with the organization was in Atlanta, Georgia. This was a delightful experience for me because I always met with very kind, intelligent, humble people. We did a lot of good things. A highlight was a trip to Madrid. We did our convention work during the daytime. Therefore, we got to see many things. I met up with a group of the Daughters of Charity while there. I had the privilege of having the final five days to rest and enjoy. During this time I met many fine people...mostly in the dining area. The food was delicious. We didn' t have any waitresses. They were all waiters. I spent these five days on the coast of Del Sol, which was within walking distance of the Rock of Gibraltar. I stayed in a family oriented hotel. It was delightful! During my time with the AATSP, I had other trips. One was to Toronto, Canada. There was a trip to California, which I wasn' t able to go on due to sister, Irene becoming very ill. SBMG: Sister, when you were talking about teaching Religion in St. John Evangelist, Tucson, it struck me that you were the first or one of the first Sisters to bring the Word Of God to the people in the West. Could you summarize that for me, please? SSMcl: Well, I went out to the West in February of 1934. In 1935, Father Stohler, managed in December to get the chapel. At first, I went out alone with a companion girl to teach catechism. The other Sisters were all spread out teaching the deaf and blind, etc. They also went to many of the distant areas to teach catechism. This .was in 1935. I continued to teaching catechism until I left Arizona. In 1938, I went to Chandler. I wasn't alone in Chandler. Sister James Marie Malone and Sister Rita Ann Woods were with me there. I was in Chandler from 1938 until 1941. From 1942-1943, I went to Ajo. Sister Dominica O' Connor accompanied me there. SBMG: Looking back on her life, there are a number of things that Sister Suzanne would like to tell us about. SSMcl: After looking at a picture last evening, I think it is important for me to tell you about the Mariachi Mass in Puerto Baca,Mexico (I don't know if this is what Sister is saying though I tried to determine.) The Cathedral in Puerto Baca was built by the early Spanish settlers there. You could put this entire Cathedral in Sacred Heart Church. There was a very fine Bishop there. The Mariachi singers connected with the Mariachi singers from Mexico had composed music to be played at Mass. The Bishop there gave them permission to use a record of this music at his Mass. So on a Sunday while I was there I attended this Mass. It was most reverent, but also definitely Mariachi. The people came in bus loads to that Mass. Much to my surprise, there was a bus load of Daughters of Charity in full regalia. Even though the Spanish people were not prone to accept religious in religious attire, they were most accepting of these Sisters probably because they manned the hospitals in the poorer sections of the cities. The people in Mexico still had laws in their books against priests and sisters. I too was suspect, but when asked to change, I said: "I don't ask anyone from Mexico to wear something American when they come to the United States, and as a citizen of the United States, I believe I should be permitted to wear what I please." Mass begins at the back of the church and it is also where the presiding priest delivers his homily. This is where the Baptismal Fount is, quite a large one in case any adults want to be Baptized. The Sunday I was there, there must have been about fifty priests accompanying the Bishop. The Bishop then intones the Confiteor, which is the beginning of the Mass. We have windows above our altars, but they have balconies above theirs. Important people sit up there during the Mass. At the Sign of Peace, the Bishop and the accompanying priests walked the full length of the Cathedral extending the Sign of Peace to everyone. The Blessed Sacrament is not reserved on the altar, but in a separate room. This was so that no one could do any harm to the Blessed Sacrament. A person really had to know their way around in order to find this separate little chapel. There is another thing I would like to tell you about. In 1955, Mother Claudia Glenn sent me out to Tucson. I had never been asked to work with the young sisters, but in this case, I was sent to help Sister Mary Ann Farrell and Sister Esther Marie Phillips, both of whom were postulants. I'm not going to say any more about it. Perhaps some day these two sisters may relate the experience. I want to say now that the Community has been most gracious with me. I have had opportunity to learn, opportunity to travel, opportunity to improve my spiritual life, if I would. In spite of all the opportunities received, I feel that I have been a financial burden at times. It seems that since 1962, I spend time in the hospital every other year or so. SBMG: I really don' t think we have much room left on this tape. So, I think we'll just close, thanking you very much for your giving us this information. I feel that we have some very valuable information. I learned a lot about you and feel that anyone listening to these tapes would have the same experience. Sister Marie Arthur Hamilton: I transcribed this oral history on Sr. Suzanne McIntyre from cassette tapes. It is somewhat edited. I completed it on January 12, 2011. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Suzanne McIntyre Subject The topic of the resource Sister Suzanne McIntyre Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Suzanne McIntyre, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1925 until 2001. The interview was conducted by Sister Brigid Marie Grandey on September 9, 10, 16, 17, 25, and 30, 1986. Sister Suzanne McIntyre was born on August 11, 1906 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of Patrick J. McIntyre and Margaret Josephine Barry, Lillian Margaret McIntyre entered the community on February 2, 1925 as Sister M. Suzanne McIntyre. Sister Suzanne initially ministered as a teacher in the Congregation’s schools in the Southwest United States and taught English and Spanish at Saints Peter and Paul School, Tucson, Arizona. Beginning in 1943, she taught in schools throughout Pennsylvania, including Johnstown Central High School, Johnstown; St. Luke High School, Carnegie; St. James High School, West End, Pittsburgh; and Sacred Heart High School, Pittsburgh. She taught English at Seton Hill College from 1952 to 1962. Sister Suzanne earned her B.A. in English with minors in Spanish and Social Studies from Seton Hill College in 1930, and earned her M.L. In English with a minor in Social Studies from the University of Pittsburgh in 1950. She did further graduate study at several other universities. She was a member of several societies dedicated to language education, and was the National Director of one of them, La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica, from 1977 to 1979. Sister Suzanne McIntyre passed away on May 18, 2001 at the age of 94. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986/09/09 1986/09/10 1986/09/16 1986/09/25 1986/09/30 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-35 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Clara Marie McManama Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:53 31:54 31:52 31:52 31:56 31:55 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Clara Marie McManama Subject The topic of the resource Sister Clara Marie McManama Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Clara Marie McManama, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1931 until 1991. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on April 30, May 1, May 7, and September 19, 1987,. Sister Clara Marie McManama was born on March 27, 1908. Daughter of Robert W. McManama and Clara Rose Martin, Elizabeth Martha McManama entered the community on December 8, 1931 as Sister Clara Marie McManama. Sister Clara Marie worked as a parish bookkeeper for 6 years before entering the community. She spent her ministry as a nurse at Pittsburgh Hospital. She served a variety of roles here, including as Supervisor of the Medical-Surgical Wards, as Clinical Instructor of Medical-Surgical Nursing, as Assistant Director of Nursing Service, and as Supervisor and as Co-ordinator of Out-Patient Services, as well as teaching Medical-Surgical Nursing at the Hospital’s School of Nursing for two years. She also served as an instructor for the Practical Nurse School at Roselia Foundling and Maternity Hospital. Sister Clara Marie earned her R.N. in Basic Nursing at Pittsburgh Hospital in 1941, her B.S. in Nursing Education from Duquesne University in 1945, and her M.S. in Med-surgical Nursing from Catholic University in 1963. Sister Clara Marie McManama passed away on December 24, 1991 at the age of 83. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/04/30 1987/05/01 1987/05/07 1987/09/19 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-63 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/ac5cce1a37759f0e55b4ebdf34739930.mp3 2884fdc4ce65fce102826fa2ee1592c2 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/1c21309e94521db5c940b98664a90d07.mp3 3469575bddafdc71fd49d96edb0ebcc0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Jean Ann Wilburn Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:35 24:53 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1930 until 1997. The interview was conducted by Sister Jean Ann Wilburn on March 14, 1987. Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama was born on June 16, 1905. Daughter of Robert W. McManama and Clara Rose Martin, Lucy G. McManama entered the community on March 25, 1930 as Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama. Sister Mary Thaddeus initially joined the faculty of Seton Hill College as a math teacher in 1941, and continued teaching at the college until her retirement in 1986. From 1965 to 1970 she also served as the director of the campus Public Information and in 1970 she became the college archivist, which she continued until 1980. Sister Mary Thaddeus earned her B.A. in Math and Social Studies from Seton Hill College in 1937 and earned her M.S. in Math from the University of Pittsburgh in 1946. She also pursued summer graduate work in Math from Columbia University from 1943 to 1945, and in Statistics from the University of Chicago from 1947 to 1948. She was a member of the American College Public Relations Association and was renowned within her field for her dedication to service. Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama passed away on June 18, 1997 at the age of 92. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/03/14 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-57 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/f89ca69d10c9582569e49d7342010f31.mp3 99d68c76393a3a97447ed9a4f43fd8ed https://scsharchives.com/files/original/744acef3c0a7d586172cbb6621699fa3.mp3 6cd01f978aadf5545bf2c810675d8910 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Brigid Marie Grandey Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Mary Robert McManama Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:59 31:58 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Mary Robert McManama Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Robert McManama Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Robert McManama, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1933 until 1994. The interview was conducted by Sister Brigid Marie Grandey on October 31, 1987.Sister Mary Robert McManama was born on December 24, 1908 in Gadsden, Alabama. Daughter of Robert W. McManama and Clara Rose Martin, Clara Rose McManama entered the community on March 25, 1933 as Sister Mary Robert McManama. Sister Mary Robert ministered as a high school teacher of math and English and as a librarian at schools in the dioceses of Pittsburgh, Altoona, and Phoenix. Among the schools she taught at were Cathedral High School, Altoona; St. Luke High School, Carnegie; Elizabeth Seton High School, Pittsburgh; Sacred Heart High School, Shadyside, Pittsburgh; Holy Innocents High School, Sheraden; anSt. Mary, Chandler, Az.; St. Anselm High School, Swissvale; Bishop Boyle High School, Homestead; Mon Valley Catholic High School, Monongahela, and Seton-LaSalle High School, Mt. Lebanon, Pittsburgh. Upon her retirement, she worked as a librarian at Assumption Hall. Sister Mary Robert earned her A.B. in English with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1948 and earned her M.Ed. in Library Science from Duquesne University in 1960. Sister Mary Robert McManama passed away on April 27, 1994 at the age of 79. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/10/31 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-74 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/fe47664ac1c7177665923b280173d1ab.mp3 2172c45c5034a1ec8ba0fa1fe8d87c9d https://scsharchives.com/files/original/3ec741bc98e21f6479aa2525b5aaa22e.mp3 5c923c1a30c7af66ecade9151a68b267 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Mary Guido McMillan Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:02 27:59 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH-23 SMCM: This interview is being conducted as part of the oral history program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister Mary Guido McMillan and the interviewer is Sister Marie Corona Miller. The interview is being conducted at St. Anselm's convent. The date is January 14, 1987. It will be kept in the community archives at Caritas Christi in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. SMCM: Good morning, Sister Mary Guido. I'm very happy to be with you today to have you tell us about your history. Would you like to do that? SMGMc: Yes, I would be happy to do that. I was born April 23, 1907 in Belleview, Pennsylvania. My sister Betty was also born in Belleview. Shortly after my sister's birth, we moved to Richmond, Virginia where my brother, Billy, was born. A year and a halflater, my mother died at the age of twenty-nine. I was six, my sister five, and my little brother one and a half years old. In the meantime, my mother's aunt took care ofus. Several years later, my father married Margaret Bettet (that's what it sounded like. I listened several times). She was a catholic. Therefore, we became catholic. My sister and I were baptized on March 23, 1917. Prior to that, we went to the Southern Baptist Church in Richmond. My mother is buried there in the cemetery connected with the church. At the beginning of the First World War, when my father married my stepmother, we had to move to Philadelphia because my father was exporting lumber to England. We had to be near the Chesapeake Bay. We started school, I believe I was in third grade at a school where the Sisters of St. Joseph taught. My stepmother caught the flu. My father didn't have anyone to care for us, so he asked the sisters for suggestions as to where he might send us. This happened to be the sisters boarding home in Marian, Pennsylvania. We were there for a year. After my stepmother recovered, we moved to be with my .Grandmother McMillan in Pittsburgh. My grandmother was furious that we had become catholic. She wouldn't permit us to go to church, even though St. Lawrence's Church was right on Broad Street, where she lived in Garfield. Meantime, my father being a devout catholic, arranged for me and my sister to go to Ursuline Academy. My brother, Billy, went to DePaul Institute, not as a pupil, but as a child to be taken care of. The Ursuline Academy didn't keep summer boarders. My stepmother was unable to take care of us. The sisters in Ursuline Academy advised my father to send us to the Sisters of St. Joseph in Ebensburg, PA for the summer. We stayed in Ebensburg for the following school year. My stepmother had a nervous breakdown, but she recovered enough for us to come home. We moved to College Avenue in the east end of Pittsburgh. We lived on the first floor. I came home to help her. My sister and brother came home also. My sister and I went to Sacred Heart School. We were both in the same grade. Sister M. Zita Ryan was our teacher. It was seventh grade. My brother went to Sacred Heart also. The following year, my dad moved to Wilkinsburg because he had started a new lumber business on Trenton Avenue. We went to St. James School in Wilkinsburg. In the meantime, my father had a large house built in Regent Square on Lancaster Avenue. From here, we went to Divine Providence High School on Larimer Avenue in East Liberty. I didn't complete High School. At the end of my second year, I entered the Sisters of Charity. I didn't really know the Sisters of Charity very well because my stepmother gave everyone the impression that she was marvelous. You've heard the term "Street Angel, but a House devil." Well, the term surely described her. She gave us the gift of faith, but she was really mean and cruel to us. I don' t want to go into this as it makes me very upset. So, I'll tell you how I became interested in becoming a Sister of Charity. When I was a little girl in Richmond, Virginia, grandpa came one time and took me to a movie. All I can remember about it was there were two Sisters of Charity from France. They were going along the street when they heard what sounded like a baby' s cry. They lifted the nearby garbage can lid, picked the baby up and took it to their Orphanage. I was so entranced that I said to grandpa: "Who are those ladies, and what are they doing with that baby?" Grandpa said: "SH!" I'll tell you when we leave the movie. So, he told me that they were Sisters of Charity and that they do a lot of good. He said that in China, baby girls are thrown away and sometimes these sisters are able to find the babies and take care of them. I told my grandpa that I knew what I was going to be when I grew up...a Sister of Charity. When we were in high school, the Sisters of Divine Providence were talking about vocations. I didn' t say anything then, but I managed to ride out to Greensburg to see the Motherhouse. I told the Mother Superior, who was Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers that I would be interested in any literature that she could send me. A week or so later, I received a letter from Mother Rose Genevieve telling me that Mother Mary Francis McCullough would be happy to meet with me at Pittsburgh Hospital or at Seton Hill. So my stepmother took me to Seton Hill on March 17th to meet with Mother Mary Francis McCullough As we stepped inside the building, a peace and calm came over me. I knew this was where I wanted to be. SMCM: What year was that Sister Mary Guido? SMGMcM: That was March 19, 1925 because Mother Rose Genevieve had Sister Marie Augustine Witt show me around. I was thrilled with the beauty of the place. When we came back to Mother Rose Genevieve's office, I knelt down and signed the papers which said I would be coming to Seton Hill to become a Sister of Charity. In those days, you could enter at any time, so Mother Rose Genevieve told me that a girl was coming on May 3, 1925, and I could come with her. I was surprised to hear that her name was Ruth O' Brien, who had also attended Divine Providence High School. She was a year younger than me. I have never regretted the decision I made to become a Sister of Charity from that day through today. When Mother Mary Francis put the postulant cap on my head she asked me who my sponsor was. I said, what do you mean, and she replied, who encouraged you to come to the community? I told her that my only contact with the Sisters of Charity was when Sister Zita Ryan taught me in the seventh grade at Sacred Heart, and when Sister Jane M. Joyce taught me at St. James in Wilkinsburg. Well then said Mother Mary Francis, I'll be your sponsor. Sister Marie Augustine was there, and she also said she would be my sponsor. So, that's the way it was. I had two sponsors. SMCM: Sister, who was Ruth O' Brien? SMGMcM: She was Sister Mary Bernard. The other sisters who were in my group were: Sister Ethelreda Merz and Sister Margaret Frances Coogan. I hadn't finished high school, so I did this by attending the Normal School and attending other classes at Seton Hill. SMGMcM: The frrst charge I got was the coffee. Sister Mary Bernard was also on this charge. Then I was given Sister Marion Stephen who was in the Sister's Infirmary to take care of. She was a precious, beautiful character. She had what was then called rheumatic rheumatism, which today would be called arthritis. When I got Sister, she was in a wheel chair. She was able to use her hands to crochet and make rosary beads. She could also sew by using her knee to operate the sewing machine. Sister Mary Bernard would come at night and help me put sister to bed. I took care of Sister Marion during my entire canonical year. In November of 1926; I was sent out on mission to Holy Innocent's School in Sheraden to do substitute teaching for Sister Margaret Clare Collins. When I returned to Seton Hill in the summers, I again took care of Sister Marion Stephen. When I first went to Holy Innocents, it was to be for just two weeks, but this didn't happen. Sister Amata Brennan asked mother why I was being left in school as I was promised I would go into nurses training with Sister Mercedes McMahon and Sister M.. Nathaniel McNamara at the old Pittsburgh hospital. Mother said:" We need good teachers as much as we need good nurses." Therefore, I never did get to be in nurse's training. Instead, my sister, Betty McMillan, went into training in the very class I would have been in. She went on after graduation to New York and became a pediatrician nurse. She met her husband in New York. I didn't see too much of my sister. In the meantime, my stepmother had another nervous breakdown. In those days if there was any mental illness in your family, you couldn't be admitted to vows. Since she of course was not related in any way, this didn't hold true in my case. My family was concerned about this as they knew how very happy I was. My father informed me that my stepmother had left him. Unfortunately, dad had signed over everything to her...the insurance, the house, the car, everything to her. He was afraid because of the war situation, the economy, and the fact that he was in business for himself, that ifhe didn't sign everything over to her, he would lose everything. It was sad, because dad had to start out from scratch. God was good to him. He was an excellent salesman, so it didn't take him long to build up a rather large list of customers. My brother, Billy, went to the University of Pittsburgh. He did graduate. However, his eyes were so bad that he was unable to do anything for a year My sister invited him to New York where he met and married his wife, Sophie Sappharo. He also found work in New York, as he was not able to find work in Pittsburgh. In the meantime, I was the only one in Pittsburgh to visit and be of any help to my dad. I didn't see him very often. I stayed at Holy Innocents in Sheraden for five years teaching second grade under the guidance of Sister M. Josepha Lee, who was a wonderful primary teacher. When she was sent elsewhere, I was put in her first grade. Sister Josepha was the one who told me that rabbits are a symbol of the Universal Church because they can be found anywhere in the world. She told me many other little things like this which were very helpful to many of my students. I was very happy in Sheraden. Sister Mary Giles Brandt, who was the principal and sister servant would send Sister Regina Mary Murphy and me out after school at times to visit the sick. We used to say the rosary on the way home. In 1931, I was transferred to Sharpsburg for three years. I taught first grade there also. In 1934, I was sent to St. Irenaeus in Oakmont. I was there at the time of the flood in 1936. That's where I met my dear friend, Sister Mary Alfred Sharp. I would go home with Sister Mary Alfred to visit her parents, both of whom were very ill. Her mother was a semi-invalid. From St. Irenaeus, I think I went to Sacred Heart for several years. Then I went to St. Kieran's for a short time, but then I went back to Sacred Heart. I taught in the primary grades all of these years, mostly in first grade, which I loved. Every summer I went back to Seton Hill to work in the Infirmary. I took care of Sister Marion Stephen for seventeen years. In the meantime, Sister Mary Bernard O' Brien would be assigned to help me care for Sister Marion. However, Sister Mary Bernard was afraid to touch Sister Marion because of her large (Sr. Mary Bernard's) size. So she took care of things in Sister' s room such as the large fish bowl Sister had in her room. She also had a radio and was simply amazed that you could hear voices from that "box." One time sister had never been in a car. Her sister died, and she requested to go in to Pittsburgh to pay her respects. We rode all the way to Pittsburgh in an ambulance. I knelt beside Sister Marion, even though she was tied in to prevent any mishap. Her sister was laid out in Bellevue, and she was very happy to have gotten in. Sister Marion contracted her illness after teaching for just nine years. The Community sent her to some facility (Sr. Mary Guido couldn' t remember the name) to get some help, but Sister ' s condition just kept getting progressively worse until she was confined to a wheel chair. SMCM: Sister Mary Guido, when did you make your first vows? SMGMcM: I made first vows on August 15, 1927. Sister Mary Bernard (Ruth O' Brien) also professed her vows on August 15, 1927. We were in chapel the evening before, and it was announced that Ruth O' Brien would be known as Sister Mary Bernard, and Virginia McMillan would be known as Sister Mary Guido McMillan. I took the name Guido because my father who was a convert had made a retreat at St. Paul's Monastery which was given by Father Guido, Passionist. My father was forever impressed by this retreat, and he and Father Guido became close friends. My father was very pleased that I had been given the name, Guido. Three years later, on August 15, 1930, Sister Mary Bernard and I pronounced our fmal vows. My novitiate days were happy ones. I didn't get to spend as much time with the sisters because of my duties in the infirmary, especially caring for Sister Marion Stephen. I taught from 1926 up until 1975. I only missed three days during the entire time. Then, in 1975, my silver jubilee year, I went on half day teaching at St. Anselm's in Swissvale. I helped the little children who needed help in Phonics and Reading. In 1980, I retired from teaching and visited the sick and shut-ins. The hardest thing for the elderly is being lonely...having no one to talk to. Sometimes, they don't hear another voice from one end of the week to the other. Sister Pancratius Jablonski was marvelous in doing this work. She began this work after she retired from her work with the choir boys and teaching Singing in the classrooms for many years in St. Anselm' s grade school. Sister Pancratius had done this ministry with the elderly for ten years before I joined in working with her. We would go out visiting together many times. Sometimes, we separated and went via foot to visit some shut-ins. When I had to physically cut back on some ofthis visiting, I would call some elderly people on the phone. If the weather was decent, I went out to visit at the hospitals and nursing homes. At times, I went to see Sister Beatrice McQuade' s mother who was at a nursing home residence in Homestead. Mrs. McQuade was very happy and contented there. From there, the driver would take me down the street to see a little hunchback. In the same area, it was possible for me to visit a person with multiplesclerosis. SMCM: Sister, do you remember anything else about some of our senior sisters in your experiences as a young sister? SMGMcM: Well, when I was in the infirmary, I would have to pass trays. One time, Sister Mary Cecelia Schwab had a tracheotomy tube which she coughed up and lost. I had to get down on my hands and knees to find it, which I did. Then it had to be sterilized and reinserted. It was only a few years later that sister transferred to an enclosed Order. Sister Generosa was my superior at Sheraden for one year. She also became an enclosed Dominican in Texas. I keep in touch with sister several times a year. She became known as Sister Mary Michael. She was age ninety-three and a half at our last correspondence and asked me to pray for her as she knew she was coming to the end of her life here on earth. Our deceased Sister Marie Monica Blickenstorfer was also a good friend of Sister Generosa and corresponded with her over the years. I also took care of Sister Ambrose Walsh in the Infirmary. She was a heavy set sister and I recall that when she had to go to the hospital, she wouldn't permit anyone but me to go with her in the ambulance. I would serve trays, and when I was finished Sister Grace Barr would ask me to fill in where help was needed. Sister Ambrose became a good friend. SMCM: Now, was Sister Grace Barr the Infirmarian? SMGMcM: Yes. There was a Sister M. Julia Byrne in the infirmary who was always saying: "Pray for me, pray for me, I'm afraid to die." One day I said to her: "Sister Julia, why are you afraid to die? You've been a sister for sixty five years, have taught and done many good things during your lifetime?" She said maybe I haven't done enough for God and I said if you haven't done enough, what about us who are just starting out? I understand that she did have a very peaceful death. There was another old sister...Sister Mary Inez Cronin. After Sister Marion died, I used to take care of Sister Mary Inez and the other infirm sisters by cutting their toe nails, finger nails, hair etc. I did this in the evenings. They were the days when we had night silence. I felt that I had to distract the sisters somehow, especially when doing their feet, so, of course I would talk to them. One evening, Mother Maria Benedict Monahan approached me and said that she understood I was breaking night silence. I told her that if she meant my talking to the old sisters, that I had checked this out with my confessor, because I was concerned about this, and he told me that I was doing a good thing by talking to the sisters, relieving them of any nervousness or anxiety related to my tending to the aforementioned needs. You can see that throughout my life, I've always taken care of the old and the young. I will continue to do this as long as God gives me the health. SMcM: Sister, I understand that your sister paid for a tour to Lourdes to celebrate your Silver Jubilee. Would you like to tell us about that? SMGMcM: Very briefly, I will. My sister in Florida saw an article in their paper stating that Cardinal Spellman was conducting a thirty-six day Mediterranean cruise to Spain, Greece, and other places of interest. This was in 1957. My sister, Betty, wrote to me inviting me to go on the tour with her. She had a heart condition and didn't want to travel this far by herself, but wanted to go to Lourdes which was one of the places scheduled on the tour. I was still living at Holy Innocents in Sheraden at the time. I showed the letter to Sister Vincent de Paul Baker who was our senior sister. I told Sister that this was probably an impossibility. Her reply was:''Nothing ventured, nothing gained," and said that Mother Claudia Glenn was coming in two weeks and I should present the situation to her. Well, Mother Claudia said that if I could get a teacher to take my place during the time of the tour that I had her permission. I was missioned in August to Resurrection school in Brookline, so it was here that I needed to get the teacher. When I told Sister Caroline Joseph Wilson, who was the principal at Resurrection, about the tour, she told me that she had a very good primary teacher who could cover for me while I was on the tour. I got all of the seat work duplicated and wrote lesson plans from September the eighth, the day of departure up until October thirteenth, the day of my return. There were twenty-seven school days during that time. When I came back, I found the children to be well instructed, in fact maybe even better taught than ifl was there. I bought each little child a medal from Lourdes and a holy card from Fatima. In my class was a little boy, named James Whalen, who later became Father Jim Whalen. He became a priest for the diocese of Pittsburgh. He invited me to his ordination. I went to his ordination at St. Paul's Cathedral in Pittsburgh, but was unable to attend his first Mass, so I told Sister Mary Louise Molchan to inform him of this, and tell him that I would see him sometime in the near future. Little did I realize that I would see him soon afterward at St. Anselm's, which was his first assignment, going in to say the noon Mass, which I was going to attend. We both got a good laugh about this. He was stationed at St. Anselm's for five years and then was sent to St. Lawrence O'Toole's parish in Garfield. Now he is in charge of the retreats at Gilmary Center. I'm sure that he will be instrumental in bringing many vocations to the church. Going back to my trip with Betty. We were only on our way out of New York Harbor a day when I met Cardinal Spellman who asked why I was the only sister on the trip.I said: "Because it's school time, Cardinal. I was very fortunate that my sister, Betty, paid my way and also paid for a substitute teacher for me for the twenty-seven days (school days) a substitute teacher was needed in my place. When we reached Lourdes, there were twenty-eight tour buses there to take care of us. The entire ship was given over to the tour. There were thirty-six stairwells blocked and altars set up making it possible for thirty-six priests to celebrate Mass. There were seven hundred thirty six people on the pilgrimage. All of the books were removed from the library so that a chapel would be available. The stations were erected as was a crucifix. You were free in the morning to pray..say the rosary, make your adoration, etc. Then in the afternoon at four o'clock, we had Benediction. It.was beautiful. My sister and I always went to the eight AM Mass in the theater, because it was Bishop McConnell who said the Mass. Bishop Cook, who was secretary to Cardinal Spellman gave the homilies which wer-e excellent, especially the ones on the Blessed Mother. I told him that he should compile a record of these homilies, especially the ones on Mary because they were so beautiful. When we got to Lourdes, we stayed one night. There was a candle light procession. I didn't go into the baths, nor did my sister. She wasn't well enough. We did get a supply of Lourde's water which we brought back to the states and gave to different people. From Lourdes we went to Fatima. Every night we got back on the ship which would go from one point to another. Every evening we returned to the ship for dinner. The seating for the evening meal was rotated so that everyone had an opportunity to sit at the Cardinal's table. We had our picture taken with the Cardinal. At Fatima, there were no finished streets as I'm sure there are now. We were able to walk along these streets in Fatima because the weather was nice. We sang hymns as we walked up to the beautiful basilica in Fatima. From Fatima, we went through the strait of Gibraltar. We went to Greece to the top of the mountain where St. Paul preached. I had my picture taken there. We saw other points of interest in Greece, for example Pompey. Next we went to Spain. At St. James Church in Spain, they have a very heavy relic of St. James. ( I tried to get what sister was saying about this relic, but couldn't). It was suspended somehow and swayed back and forth over the people, blessing them. I believe she said that the practice had been terminated as it took six men to take care of this procedure. No matter what country we entered, we didn't need our passports as the Cardinal's name was sufficient identification. When we entered France, two men got on the ship and checked our passports, but that was the only place. On our return to the states, we got word that Pope Pius XII was very ill. We knew that he was ill all summer because we could not have a private audience with him. He was suffering from choking spells. He came out on the balcony above a courtyard where we assembled. His message to us was: "Know your angels, pray to your angels because they are the ones who will some day take your soul to God." This was the theme of his homily as it was the month of October when we especially honor the angels. This was Friday. Sunday evening, we received word that the Pope was dying. He had in fact had a stroke. We kept perpetual adoration on the ship. The Cardinal got word on Friday that the Pope had died. The ship turned around and went to the Azores where the Cardinal was met by some Americans who flew him to Rome. The day after the Cardinal left ship, we got into a terrible hurricane. We didn't realize that it was as bad as we were later told. We thought it was just a bad storm. Actually, we were told that there was fear of the ship breaking in two. We did, however, arrive safely in New York. Then it was that Father Gray (I think this is whom she said) gave me the Pope' s Zuchetta because Cardinal Spellman had told me that he would give it to me when we got to New York. He did this because there were many women who would have liked getting it. He gave me the last one which the Pope had worn, because he said the Pope took it off his head, handed it to the Cardinal and said: "God bless Sister." When we returned to the states, I sent the Pope's cap to all the schools in Pittsburgh for the children to see. I kept the zuchetta myself for about a year after it had been shown to the children in the various schools. Then I thought to myself how foolish of me to keep it personally...that it belonged in our Archives in Greensburg, so I sent it there. I feel in my heart that some day Pope Pius XII will be canonized. My sister did not receive a physical cure, but spiritually she felt very peaceful and happy because of the tour. Betty worked as a nurse in the hospital in New York for a few more years, but she contracted whooping cough and the doctor advised her to move to Florida. Her husband took a six month leave from his work and went with Betty. He liked it so well that he stayed there. My sister was never able to have children, but she and her husband adopted a boy when they moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, where she and her husband lived happily for thirty­ five years. Betty died from a stroke in 1969. Then my brother felt that he should take over where Betty left off. He took me and my friend, Rosie, on a lovely Carribean cruise for ten days. This was for my Golden Jubilee. It was sad to see the difference between how the rich lived on one side of the island as opposed to how the poor lived on the other side. The little children were constantly begging for money. We were cautioned not to give them any, but I gave them some anyhow as I felt they needed it. The last trip that I had with my brother, was with Rosie to Ireland. The only way my brother would go is if someone went with him. So I feel that in my lifetime I have been blessed getting to see many things that other sisters have not seen. I am very grateful to the Lord for all His blessings over the years. SMCM: Thank you, Sister Mary Guido, for sharing so many things about your life. This tape will be kept in the Archives at Caritas Christi in Greensburg. Sister Marie Arthur Hamilton: This oral history for Sister Mary Guido McMillan was transcribed from cassette tapes by me. It was completed on March 29. 2011. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Mary Guido McMillan Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Guido McMillan Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Guido McMillan, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1925 until 1995. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on January 14, 1987. Sister Mary Guido McMillan was born on April 23, 1907 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of William McMillan and Jessie Castner, Virginia Helen McMillan entered the community on May 3, 1925 as Sister Mary Guido McMillan. Sister Mary Guido served as a teacher and administrator in Catholic schools throughout western Pennsylvania for 52 years. She served her entire teaching career in schools within the Diocese of Pittsburgh, except for one six-year term as principal of Sacred Heart, Greensburg. Among the schools she served were Holy Innocents, Sheraden; St. Joseph, Sharpsburg; St. Anselm, Swissvale; St. Irenaeus, Oakmont, St. Keiran, Lawrenceville; Sacred Heart, Greensburg; Sacred Heart, East End, Pittsburgh; Resurrection, Brookline; St. Philip, Crafton; and St. James, Wilkinsburg. After she retired from teaching, she helped care for the elderly. Sister Mary Guido earned her B.Ed. in Elementary Education from Duquesne University in 1946. Sister Mary Guido McMillan passed away on November 9, 1995 at the age of 88. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/01/14 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-37 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Ethelreda Merz Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 18:37 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 50-1 Sr. M. Ethelreda Merz This is a part of the oral history program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Sister Ethelreda Merz died on January twenty-ninth, nineteen eighty-five. In her memory, Sister Mary Guido McMillan will share her thoughts on Sister Ethelreda. This interview is being conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller at St. Anselm's Convent. The date is October thirteenth, nineteen eighty-seven. Sr.Mary Guido McMillan... Sister Ethelreda was born in nineteen hundred nine, I think, in Pittsburgh. Her earlier years were lived in Homewood on Brace Street. Her father and mother had an older girl named Helen. Two years later they had Sister Ethelreda, who was known as Mildred. The family called her Midge. She was a dear little girl, but I did not know her in those days, because her mother died, and her aunt raised them for a while. Then her father remarried a woman, whose name was Eichenlaub. She had one daughter...Madge. They moved from Brace Street in Homewood to Hutchison Avenue in Edgewood. Sister Ethelreda went to Divine Providence Academy and so did I, where we met in high school. Sister Margaret Frances Coogan, Sister Mary Bernard O' Brien, and Sister Ethelreda Merz were all freshmen, while I was a sophomore. Sister Ethelreda and I became very close friends. The fact that we lived in the same neighborhood, she on Hutchison Avenue, and we lived on Saunders and Lancaster Avenue in Regent Square, we often traveled home together. Then, when Sister decided that she wanted to enter, she came to me and told me of her intention. I remember well the night when she was up at our house. It was in the summer time and we were having watermelon. My father came in and he teased her. He said: "Well Mildred, by the time you enter, there won' t be any names left, so what do you want me to call you, Sister Soapsuds or Sister Applesauce?" Well, we all giggled at that. From then until my dad died, he always called her Sister Soapsuds. We came to Seton Hill in November. She petitioned and Mother told her that she could enter on December eighth. At that time, I was stationed at Holy Innocents in Sheraden. I brought Mildred up to Seton Hill where she signed the papers to enter. I entered on May third, nineteen twenty-five, and Sister Ethelreda entered on December eighth, nineteen twenty-six. If my memory serves me correctly, Sr. Ethelreda was assigned to Holy Cross as her first mission. Then I think she went to Sacred Heart for a year. When Saint Peter and Paul opened in Tucson, Arizona, Sister Ethelreda was one of the pioneers. She loved the West. She hoped to go further West, even to California. Even as a child, she and her sister, Helen used to talk about California from reading their geography. Helen married a man from out in California. He owned a wonderful grape arbor there. Sister went quite often from Tucson in the summer to visit them. They had one son, whom I think is dead now. Then Sister Ethelreda' s sister Helen died several years after Sister had been in Tucson. In the meantime, her father and mother had moved to California to be close to Helen. Her Sister, Madge, remained in Pittsburgh where she married a man by the name of MacAleer. He was Doctor MacAleer' s brother. He too is deceased now. Sister Ethelreda, at this time, was sent back to Pittsburgh for a couple of years. Her neck was giving her a great deal of trouble. She had an operation at St. Francis hospital, but it was not too successful, because her neck continually turned, and she had to hold her head even to eat. Sister was a very private person. She never complained. After this, Sister Ethelreda went back to California when her father became very ill. The father died there in California, as did the mother about a year later. Then Sister Ethelreda stayed on in California at St. Pancratius. She took care of the patio, answered doorbells and telephones, etc., as she had been out of school for ten years. When she became ill, Mother requested that she come home to the East. Sister Ethelreda then came to Assumption Hall where she was for twenty three or twenty-four months. She was a beautiful character. She loved pink and also loved butterflies. Sister Ethelreda was a very prayerful woman, and everyone loved here. Sister died very suddenly one evening. She was listening to her television, which she always turned off about nine-thirty PM. The night nurse heard the noise of the television about eleven-thirty and went in to check on Sister. She turned the TV off. Then, going out, she patted Sister ' s forehead to find that it was cold. She turned the light on and there was Sister Ethelreda with a beautiful smile on her face sleeping the sleep of death. I'm sure Sister is happy in heaven with God, her'fe latives; and the Blessed Mother whom she dearly loved. Sr. Marie Arthur Hamilton: I completed the transcription of Sr. Mary Guido McMillan's memoirs of Sr. Ethelreda Merz on Saturday, January fifth, two thousand thirteen...2013. Sr. Marie Corona Miller: This is a part of the oral history of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Sister Ethelreda Merza on January twenty-ninth, nineteen eighty five. In her memory, Sister Adxam Bronchain will share her thoughts on Sister Ethelreda. This interview is being conducted by Sr. Marie Corona Miller at St. Columkille in Imperial. The date is: February third, nineteen eighty-eight. SAB: I didn't know Sister Ethelreda until I went to St. Pancratius in Lakewood, California. I went there to teach the eighth grade. I was there from nineteen seventy-one until nineteen seventy-six. In those five years is when I really got to know Sister Ethelreda. At that time, Sister Ethelreda·was just doing part time work in the school office...mostly taking care of the milk program for the lunch children. There, they don't have a cafeteria. The children bring a bag lunch. They eat out on the patio, so her job was to order the milk, take care of the tickets for the milk, and all that was entailed. She also did odd jobs in the office for Sister Mary Giles Brandt, who was Principal while I was there, and she also became a very good friend of Mrs. McGaffm, who was the school secretary at that time. Mrs. McGaffin's daughter had several children. I know that Sister Ethelreda was very much interested in them and in fact I still think they kept in contact after Sister Ethelreda left. I was the Sister Servant at St. Pancratius. Sister Ethelreda had a nephew who died in La Hoya, California. It was after that, and because of the situation that I got to know Sister Ethelreda very closely. I guess in the beginning I was too caught up with being the Sister Servant and school work.....being the eighth grade teacher. When you get all caught up in those things, you don't always think about the people living with you, which is not a good way to be. She struck me very forcefully by her quiet way. You had to really know her to realize that she was suffering. She never complained. Her attitude, her manner was always one of a quiet joy. After I got to know her, I learned of her great love of nature. She took care of the beautiful patio we had at St. Pancratius. It was walled in. There was a lemon tree. She had the Bird of Paradise flowers there. They were native to the area. She had other flowers there too. Amoµg them were the Jphnny Jump Ups, which are something like a Violet or a Pansy. When they first came up in the Springtime, she would surprise me by having one of those in my bedroom because she knew that I shared her love for flowers. She also had a few plants on the Patio table. Again, they were of the exotic kind. That was the way she kept herself busy besides working in the school. She also liked to read. Every night I would go into her bedroom and massage her neck. Her neck caused her a lot of pain. She could not look ahead. She had to hold her head in order to be able to do this. She loved "Snoopy" from "Peanuts", so we had a little "Snoopy" dog. That brought her a lot of joy. Any time I sent her a card, I always tried to find one with something related to "Snoopy" on it, especially after I returned to the East and didn't live with her anymore. Another thing, to show our deep relationship, when I was leaving California in nineteen seventy-six, she went to the airport to see me off. I know that must have been a great price that she paid, because it was hard for her to travel. I was very touched at her doing this. She also gave me a card, which wasn' t to be opened until I boarded the plane. I still have that card. She was a great inspiration to me just because of her quiet, gentle, manner, her joy and her patience in suffering. I will always remember her. When she died, I was not able to go to the funeral. The weather did not permit it. At that time, there were hazardous driving warnings being given, but Sister Sebastian Jellison, in her kindness, knew I was a good friend of Sister Ethelreda, and she gave me her statue of Mary, some flowers, and her little crib set, which I still have. When I came back East, I went to Blairsville, and often went to Assumption Hall to visit Sister Ethelreda. SMCM: Sister, how do you feel that Sister Ethelreda adjusted to coming to Assumption Hall after spending many years in the West? SAB: I would say she did very well. She had been in the West for many years. Knowing Sister Ethelreda, she would make the best of it no matter how difficult it might be. That was true to her nature. That's the kind of person that she was. SMCM: You could pick this up when you visited her at Assumption Hall? SAB: Yes, because she was still her cheerful self. She wasn't bemoaning the fact, and she just seemed to be the way that I knew her in California, as far as her attitude, her personality...try to make the best of it. SMCM; Thank you Sister Mary Adrian. Sr. Marie Arthur Hamilton: I completed the transcription of Sr. Mary Adrian' s memoirs of Sr. Ethelreda Merz on Wednesday, January ninth, two thousand thirteen...2013. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister M. Ethelreda Merz Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Ethelreda Merz Description An account of the resource An oral history conducted in honor of Sister M. Ethelreda Merz, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1926 until 1985. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on October 13, 1987 and February 3, 1988.Sister Ethelreda Merz was born on January 14, 1908 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of John F. Merz and Mary Ellen O’Connor, Mildred Merz entered the community on December 8, 1926 as Sister M. Ethelreda Merz. Sister Ethelreda did office work for two years before entering the community. She taught in elementary schools and performed catechetical work in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Ca., and the dioceses of Pittsburgh, Pa. and Tucson, Az. Among the schools she taught at were SS. Peter and Paul, Tucson from 1943 to 1955, St. Pancratius, Ca. from 1955 to 1963 and again from 1967 to 1982, and at Sacred Heart, Pittsburgh from 1964 to 1967. Sister Ethelreda had a certification for teaching elementary education at a diocesan level from the city of Pittsburgh. Sister Ethelreda Merz passed away on January 29, 1985 at the age of 77. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/10/13 1988/02/03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-50 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/f7ce6509be7acc1165f3138bf2dec30e.mp3 c3e3fcdd5a837cccd67c599075537958 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/47cad0ada4ba57551b3dc46ac92e1b1a.mp3 685ae13c9c20a7a86c429ef938686648 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Jean Ann Wilburn Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Mary Eustace Mullen Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:01 08:30 Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz 96kHz Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Mary Eustace Mullen Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Eustace Mullen Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Eustace Mullen, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1912 until 1983. The interview was conducted by Sister Jean Ann Wilburn on May 12, 1982. Sister Mary Eustace Mullen - born Mary Catherine Mullen on October 23, 1894 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1912. Sister Mary Eustace received a bachelor's degree in education from Duquesne University in 1936. She served as a teacher at St. Joseph School in Sharpsburg, St. James Elementary School in Wilkinsburg, and at the House of Mary in Pittsburgh's Hill District for brief periods of time in the forties and fifties. She also served as a Sister Servant at Holy Cross School in Youngwood from 1945-1950. In the mid-fifties, she travelled west to Arizona where she taught at SS. Peter & Paul School in Tucson from 1953-1956 and at St. Mary-Basha Elementary School in Chandler from 1956-1957. Back east, she taught at St. Regis School in Trafford from 1957-1962 and was in residence at St. John the Evangelist in Pittsburgh from 1962-1970. Sister Mary Eustace died on May 30, 1983. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1982/05/12 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-4 Holy Cross School House of Mary SS. Peter & Paul School St. James Elementary School St. John the Evangelist School St. Joseph School St. Mary-Basha Elementary School St. Regis School https://scsharchives.com/files/original/17938dd03367b0ed11eab5fc2cd59fc8.mp3 7e301cfdd60884440c51a90e3036daee https://scsharchives.com/files/original/6efd881db0396805d15b0e38a5fe6b99.mp3 1c92a9f75c3aeb581508c0561a0cc971 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sisters Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Margaret Rose O'Dea Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Margaret Rose O'Dea Subject The topic of the resource Sister Margaret Rose O'Dea Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Margaret Rose O'Dea, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1937 until 1999. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on November 3, 1987. Sister Margaret Rose O’Dea was born on August 28, 1917 in Duquesne, Pa. Daughter of William O’Dea and Julia Walsh, Mary Margaret O’Dea entered the community on September 8, 1937 as Sister Margaret Rose O’Dea. Sister Margaret Rose worked jobs as a cashier and a clerk for a year and a half before entering the community. She served most of her ministry as a teacher and tutor at primary schools throughout the dioceses of Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Altoona-Johnstown, and Phoenix, and the Archdiocese of Washington. The schools she worked at include Resurrection, Brookline; St. John and Holy Cross, South Side; SS. Simon & Jude, Blairsville; Our Lady of Grace, Johnstown; St. Stephen; Holy Innocents, Sheraden; St. James, Apollo; St. John, Scottdale, Az.; St. John, South Side; St. Teresa, Munhall; St. Catherine; St. John the Baptist, Pittsburgh; St. Kieran; Sacred Heart, Pittsburgh; St. Jane de Chantal, Bethesda, Md.; and St. James, Wilkinsburg. She also volunteered at St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality from 1983 to 1989, after which she retired. Sister Margaret Rose earned her B.Ed. in Education from Duquesne University in 1956. As a teacher, she enjoyed having her children perform in plays. Sister Margaret Rose O’Dea passed away on January 25, 1999 at the age of 81. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/11/03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-90 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/52aadcdfe476479eafc1084d63d1eab1.mp3 570c6fe108f49920acfc52590dedd8dc https://scsharchives.com/files/original/fa99dd81a6e2c52a0e5b2b483ecfb6b3.mp3 c076406a2a518396e6a4caf111d90822 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/632d02e144e29d0dd222c4ee176da347.mp3 0d0e05c670372adfa6e865aa9caa54eb https://scsharchives.com/files/original/d690e8a90d304269dc482be6691860a1.mp3 f4f737c17f5c9582dbbb5e38746b2a84 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:55 31:55 31:51 05:58 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 79 - 1 Sr.Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell This interview is being conducted as part of the Oral History Program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sr. Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell. It is being conducted by Sr. Marie Corona Miller at Seton Hill College. The date is December First, Nineteen Eighty-Seven. SMCM: Good evening Sr. Jude Thaddeus. I'm happy to be with you this evening to have you share some of your personal history. SJTO: I was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania on December Sixteenth, Nineteen Fifteen. I was Baptized in St. Peter' s Church in McKeesport on January Ninth, Nineteen Sixteen. The priest who Baptized me was Father Danny Shields. My sponsors were my Aunt and Uncle, my mother' s brother and sister, John Conroy and Irene Conroy. My mother's name was Margaret Conroy O' Donnell. She died June Twentieth, Nineteen Twenty-Nine at the age of thirty-six. My father, Leo Francis O' Donnell, died November Fifteenth, Nineteen Sixty-Nine. My mother was born in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, and my father was born in McKeesport. There were seven children in my family. My name was Abigail Margaret, My sisters...Mary Agnes, now deceased, Peggy, deceased, Leocadia Catherine, deceased, my brother Leo is still living, and I have a twin brother and sister, Joe and Joanne, and they are both still living. They were almost six years old when I entered the Community fifty-four years ago, so that makes them sixty as of November eleventh. My Grandparents were Abagail McElroy O'Donnell. She died in Nineteen Thirty-Four. She was born in Ireland. My Grandfather, Michael O' Donnell was also born in Ireland. I don't remember the exact age that he was when he died. I think that I was nine or ten years old when he passed away. My mother's father was Michael Conroy. He died when my mother was a very young girl. He was born in Ireland. He was killed by a streetcar. My mother's mother was born in this country, but she was of German descent. Her name was Mary Ann Bear. She died in October of Nineteen Thirty-Six. It was the first family funeral that I attended after entering the Community. I attended (couldn't make out the name of the grade school) in Clairton, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Clairton High School. I went to Seton Hill College. At that time, it was required that we have a year's residence and study Bible. Father Reeves directed the program. It was far too many credits for a degree. I went into Duquesne University to complete my B.A. degree. However, when I got to Duquesne, I realized that it was going to take me too long to obtain a degree in Spanish there. We decided that I would finish in Education with an English Minor. SMCM: Sister, had you always liked the Languages? SJTO: Not particularly. My main interest has been Music, although I enjoyed French. SMCM: How did you get into Spanish? SJTO: Well, I was studying French in the College. One morning I went to a class in the Summer. Sister Martina Abbot was teaching the class at that time. She was waiting at the door and informed me that Mother M. Eveline Fisher, the Mother Superior asked her for the name or names of the Sisters who were doing well in French. She mentioned my name and another Sister's. The other Sister was meek and mild. Mother Eveline wanted someone to learn Spanish in order to teach it at the high school level. So, I became the victim. That's how I got into teaching the Languages. I went to Mother Eveline's office, and I thought that perhaps I was going to be sent on for further study in French. The thing that had me excited was that Sister Joseph Mary, who is no longer in the Community and Sister Paulina Glenn had just returned from France the previous May. So, I thought, well maybe I'm going to do something like that. However, she said: "I understand that you do well in French, Sister." SJTO: I said: "Yes, Mother, with all the pride of a young Novice." She said: "Well, dear, I want you to stop French and go into Spanish." My answer was: "But I don't know a word of Spanish." Then she said: "Then you'll have nothing to unlearn." That was the beginning of my career in Spanish. SMCM: Sister, how did you come about entering the Community of the Sisters of Charity? SJTO: Well, I really don't know. I knew that I didn't want-to become a Sister of Mercy because my Grandmother's sister had been the Mother Superior in the Sisters of Mercy. I was very much attracted to the Sisters of St. Joseph, because I loved their habit and their headdress. My Grandmother Conroy lived in Duquesne and I used to see them at Holy Name, the Parish Church. They were always so nice and friendly. So, I made up my mind that I would become a Sister of St. Joseph, even though I didn't have any other contact with them. SMCM: Were you still in high school at this time? SJTO: Perhaps it was my last year in high school. Then I went to see our wonderful Pastor, Father Joseph Lonergan, with this decision. He looked at me and said: "No, you want to be a Sister of Charity." I had never heard of the Sisters of Charity. However, Father said he would arrange for me to meet the Sisters of Charity. Sister Marie Stephen and Sister Pancratius Jablonski's sister was Father Lonergan's housekeeper, so he had her arrange for me to meet the Sisters of Charity. They decided that we would go to St. James in the West End to see Sister Pancratius. They were having a Play that afternoon in the high school. A very pretty lady, I thought, dressed ready to be part of the Play, answered the door. It happened to be Sister Sara Marie O' Hara. I thought that Sister was dressed to be part of the Play, and that she was one of the high school students. Noone said anything. I had never seen a Sister of Charity, and I was surprised when I saw these little bonnets with the bows under the chin. We went into the parlor, and then the thing for me to do was to meet the Mother Superior. It happened to be Mother M. Ignatia Flinn. Mother Ignatia came down, and she was dressed the same way. I thought now, there's something funny here, but I didn't say anything. It seems strange that an older woman is dressed in this manner. Sister Pancratius came dashing into the room, and it really dawned on me that these were Sisters of Charity. I thought: "This is not for me! I like the habit of the Sisters of St. Joseph." From there, we went to Roselia Foundling after the Play was over to visit with Sister Marie Stephen Jablonski. I met some of the other Sisters there also. I came back to see Father Lonergan, and told him that they were very nice ladies, but that it wasn't for me. He said he still felt that I should be a Sister of Charity. He wanted me to visit Seton Hill. Father went to Seton Hill too, but he drove his own car, because he didn't travel with the ladies. My uncle drove the car I rode in. Anyway, I don't know whether it was me or the Sisters, but something happened. This is probably where I am meant to be. Maybe I fell in love more with the place than I did the Sisters. Then I was introduced to Sister Theodosia Murtha, who was the Mistress of Novices. We talked for a while. I hadn't made any commitment, but you could possibly call it petitioning. Something terrible really did happen to me. They decided to take me to the Oratory to see a Sister who was laid out there. It was Sister Gaffney. The place was dark. There were no flowers, and everyone was chanting the rosary in a monotone. I think I was frightened to death, and was glad to get out of there! That was my first introduction to Seton Hill. In late June, I was talking to Sister Theodosia, who said how nice it would be ifl entered a day early September seventh instead of the eighth. There were only three of us, out of the twenty-two in the group who got this message. They were Ruth Dailey, Sister William Ann, Stella Weaver, Sister Miriam Weaver, and Abagail O' Donnell, Sister Jude Thaddeus. When the Novices heard that there was an Abigail entering, they couldn't wait to see what kind of a creature that would be! They still tease me about it to this day. The rest of my group said that I was carrying a stepladder when they arrived, and that I was bossing everyone around. That's about all I can remember about the entrance. SMCM: Sister, who all entered with you? SJTO: Sister Mary Aidan Geary was our senior, Sister Paul Gabriel Wilhere, Sister Sara Louise Reilly, Sister Agnes Joseph Hines, Sister Mary Donald Cusick, and Sister Rose Elizabeth Breen. I don't have it written down, but there were twenty-two of us I'll say entered on the same day, although three ofus came early. Out of the twenty-two, only four people left the Community. Sister Mary Alphonse. Sister Rose Bernadette, and Sister Mary Raymond all left as white caps. Then Sister Audrey, who was from Clarksdale, and a graduate of Seton Hill, left the Community several years later. We've had no deaths in our group. We are still eighteen. SMCM: Sister, what about your Novitiate days? Can you recall anything from them? SJTO: That would fill two books and five tapes, I think. Well, I can tell you, one of my first impressions was our first choir practice. Saturday evening, we were all sent down to choir practice. I didn't realize that we didn't have a choice, so I went down the first time to try it out. I had been very well trained in Gregorian Chant by Father Lonergan, and Professor Ottman, and Bishop Carroll at St. Pius Church where Father Lonergan was the Pastor. I used to sit holding the large Liber, the official chant book of the church when I was about five years old. They tell me that at that age I was holding it upside down. All the adult members of the choir nearly killed themselves laughing. We didn't know the names of the notes, but I could sing and conduct Chant. Thank goodness, Sister Ann Regina Sweeney was very humble. She was teaching the Dies Irae. She admitted to me and the Mistress of Novices that she was just starting this work herself. We started the Dies Irae, and it was not done the way I thought it should be done. We went up to the Novitiate, and of course I knew that Sister Theodosia was ready for me. We sat down, and she said: "Well, Miss O'Donnell, how did you like choir practice?" I said: "Well, if you call that choir practice, excuse me, but I'm not going back." You know how naive I was! I didn't know anything about Sisters. We didn't have any Catholic schools. I didn't really also understand the Mistress of Novices, and why she was hanging around the young people all the time. Fortunately though, Sr. Theodosia didn't say anything to me that night. She did explain it to me later. Sr. Theodosia went to Sr. Ann Regina and she said: "I have this postulant up there, and I just don't know how to handle this." She told Sr. Ann Regina exactly what happened. Sr. Ann Regina said: "Well, I'm sure you'll correct her in your own inimitable way when the time comes, but don't do anything to thwart her, because we'll be able to use her talent in the Community." A few years later, I believe in Nineteen Thirty-Five, when Bishop Guifoyle was coming to the Altoona Diocese, word came that we were to send someone who was well versed in Chant. I was selected to be that person, but I hadn't any formal training. It was decided that I would go to Pius Tenth School of Music in New York for Chant. Sr. Theodosia, knowing me, felt it was better for me not to have all this attention. She really opposed it strenuously. However, after her talking to me many times, numerous threats and warnings, it was finally decided that I would go to Pius Tenth. They could then tell this new Bishop that this Sister had been trained at Pius Tenth in Gregorian Chant. It was a very profitable Summer, enjoyed the experience. I didn't have to learn the technical names of the different notes and things like that. I was having fun, because I really knew the hard part. SMCM: Do you have any other stories to share SJTO: I tell this story to my students in Spanish up here at Seton Hill. I have to use the nominative case after the verb to be. Sr. Theodosia was always telling us that if we're not able to perform a duty, we must have someone else do it. That was a sign of a good Sister of Charity. No matter what came up, you were to take care of your duties. Sister Agnes Joseph and I did not go out on mission. I was kept home to study Latin, and Sister Agnes Joseph Hines and I believe Sister Alice Patricia Harvey were kept to obtain some college credits. Well, Sister Mary Fabian Rodgers was sent out to substitute at Sacred Heart in Pittsburgh. Before she left, she asked me to be sure to take care of her laundry, because in those days the clothes had to be categorized in separate bins. She also asked Sister Agnes Joseph. It just happened that some kind Novices brought my clothes with Sr. Agnes Joseph's clothes and put them on the bed. Neither one ofus thought about Sr. Mary Fabian's laundry. I came sailing into the Novitiate, which is now the Third Administration Community Room and Sister Theodosia was at her desk. It was characteristic of her to throw her cape over her shoulder when you were going to be repremanded, advised, etc. She said: "Just look at that." (Couldn't make out exactly what she was saying, but it sounded like Sr. Mary Fabian's laundry was all piled up at Sr. Theodosia's place in the Novitiate). Right away, I knew what was wrong, but before I could say anything, she said: ''Now, there's that Sister Fabian off to Sacred Heart. She didn't have very much time before she was sent on mission, but she took care of her duties." I said to her: "Oh, Sister, don't blame Sr. Mary Fabian. She asked Sr. Agnes Joseph and I to take care of it." Sister looked at me rather sternly and said: "She asked me." I was too stupid to know that she was correcting my grammar. So I said: "Glory be to God! Did she ask you too?" Even she had to laugh at that. That's the kind of thing that I did. Here is another story. This is the last one. I had charge of the fifth floor bathroom in fifth administration. At that time, there was a very fine, green, linoleum floor up there. The Sisters' clothes room was also up there opposite the bathroom. There was a large cupboard out in the hall where we kept supplies. We used to go down to the tunnel to get scouring powder. We filled a large can with the scouring powder, and we had smaller cans with holes punched in the top, and you put them on top of the larger cans ( I think that's what she is saying). However, if you spilled some, and you used a wet cloth to pick up the scouring powder, you had a large, white spot in the hall. We used to have to ask for permission to wax, and it wasn't too freely given for the fifth floor at that particular place because the Sisters were coming up and down there often going to the clothes room. Also, Sister Ignatius Loyola, who was quite elderly, had charge of the clothes room. I was upset about having to ask for permission all the time to wax this floor. One day, I went to clean the bathroom, and I saw this little white cap Novice down on the floor filling her little can out ofmy large can. She turned around and I said: "Well, you're the one who comes up and takes my scouring powder. You take it because you don't want to go to the tunnel to get some. You spill it on the floor, and then you don't seem to realize that when you wipe it up with a wet cloth, you leave a large white spot, and I have to go through Purgatory to get permission to wax it." She was very frightened. Well, I thought, she is impressed and probably won't do this again. All of sudden I heard over my shoulder: "Sister Alphonse, go to your charge, dear. Sister Jude Thaddeus, come with me." Of course it was Sister Theodosia, and so I had another long sess10n. SMCM: Before we leave the Novitiate, did any funny things happen? What did you do for recreation? SJTO: The older Sisters Community Room was directly under the Novitiate. Some of the older Sisters invited Sister Theodosia to recreate with them because she was spending all her life with the Novices. Anyhow, we decided that we were going to have recreation. It was like a simplicity night. We made sure that we were being noisier than we would have been with Sister Theodosia there. I can' t remember for sure, but I think it was Sister Agnes Teresa McLane who decided that she was going to teach us Little Peter Rabbit. SMCM: During your Novitiate time, do you remember the names of any older Sisters who were here? SJTO: Sister Aloysius Blakely, I believe was here, and Sister M. Claire Blakely. I can remember that they were two Sisters who were here for some time. At that time, they were part of the Infirmary, and I was serving trays on third admin. I remember little Sister M. Irene Taylor. She died when we were Novices. I remember being so disappointed because we had been taking turns sitting up with her at night and during the day. I knew that she was very low. I decided that I would spend the rest of the night with her because I had charge of serving her tray and feeding her. She was my Sister. Nevertheless, some Sister said to me: "Why don't you go, take your clothes off, get your bath, and you can come back." I went and took my bath in that little room which is right next to what is now the Community Room. I no sooner got in the tub when a Sister came and told me to take my time because Sister Irene had just died. She would have been the frrst person that I had seen die. Side Two of Tape I for Sr. Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell SMCM: Sister can you tell me about your experience when you received the habit? SJTO: We didn't have much of a ceremony in those days. The night before, we went to the Oratory. I believe that is was an Order priest there, possibly giving a retreat. The habits were all folded and placed on a table there. The priest picked up the habit, read the name (Baptismal name), and said what the Sister would be known as in Religious Life. I didn't know what to expect, because when we entered, you were to make three suggestions for the name you would like to be known as in the Community. I had a difficult time with my father at the time I wanted to enter. My mother was dead, and my father did not want me to enter the convent. In fact, I never went home or had relationships with my father until he became ill in nineteen sixty-one and wanted to see me. I never visited home except at the time of my sister's death. Noone except my grandmother, and some aunts, uncles, and cousins, came to visit me because my father did not want me to enter the convent. His remark was: "I was always welcome to come home, but he would never come to see me." So, I prayed to Saint Jude that there wouldn't be any trouble, because I was not twenty-one (couldn't get what else she said here). I promised St. Jude that if everything went alright, I would ask for his name. Sister Mary Thaddeus McManama was a Novice at the time. She said: "What name are you going to ask for?" I said: "Sister Jude Thaddeus, and I'll be in your family." She said: "Oh, there's no point in your asking for that, because I asked for that name, and it was thought to be entirely too masculine and so it wouldn't be given to me." I said: "I don't care. I'm going to ask for it. That's it!" We were always interviewed by the Mother Superior, who at that time was Mother Eveline Fisher. She asked me what name I would like to be known as in the Community, and I said Sr. Jude Thaddeus. Mother Eveline said: "Dear, that's a very hard name." I said: "I don't care. I promised St. Jude I would ask for it. If you don't want to give it to me, that's alright." She said: "Now, your name is O'Donnell, and you're Irish, what would you think about Sister Mary Sheila?" I just looked at her and said: "Would I remind you of a Sheila?" She just smiled. I said: "Let's just let it go. I'11 take whatever you give me." When we went back upstairs, Sr. Theodosia asked us about our interviews. She asked me what name I asked for and I told her what happened. She said to me: "You might be surprised if you get Cunegundus." I was very much surprised. Somehow, Sister Mary Thaddeus learned that I was going to get the name...Sr. Jude Thaddeus. She had a lovely medal of St. Jude, which she prized very much. She had the St. Jude medal pinned on the habit when I got it. The next morning we went to the Chapel where everything was done as usual. In the afternoon your family came. We had what were called visiting hours. SMCM: Who was your sponsor, Sister? SJTO: Sr. Pancratius Jablonski was my sponsor. As indicated earlier, Father Lonergan put me in contact with her. SMCM: Sister, did you go out on mission after you made first vows? SJTO: Yes, first of all I went down to St. Benedict's to teach some choir music. I was there for one school year and possibly part of a second year. Sister M. Juliana Trexler was the Principal. At that time, we had a little dining room on the ground floor of the school. Mr. Bear, who was the driver for the Sisters of Charity, used to bring a large basket down every day with our lunch in it. SMCM: Did you teach just Music? Also, do you remember the names of the other Sisters who were there at that time? SJTO: No, Sister Mary Richard Clark had to leave due to sickness in the family. I believe she went to Altoona. She had third grade at St. Benedict's, so I had to help there. I was sent primarily to teach the choir music. Some of the Sisters who were there are the following: Sister Mary Eymard Fleming, who taught the first grade, Sister Anna David Gibson (no longer in the Community), taught second grade, Sister Teresa Clare Kernan and Sister Paulina Glenn taught eighth grade. SMCM: What happened after St. Benedict's? SJTO: Next, I went to Cathedral in Altoona to teach Gregorian Chant per Bishop Guilfoyle's request to the Community. I was there for four years. During my four years there, Bishop Guilfoyle missed just four choir practices. We had choir practice every day at eleven o'clock. Some of the Sisters were not too happy that they had to dismiss the choir boys every day for this practice. They knew that the Bishop would be there and we had to just accept it. When I first went to Altoona, Sister Hildegarde Eichenlaub was the Sister Servant. Then, my last year there, Sister Agnes Josephine Brice was Sister Servant. SMCM: Did you have a large number of Sisters in Altoona when you were there? SJTO: Oh, yes. We had twenty some Sisters. I think we had two of every grade. Sister Alberta Sweeney had charge of the Altar boys there. The Sisters who taught in the high school traveled back and forth each day. I can remember Sisters Miriam Joseph Murphy, Sara Louise Reilly, and Mary Eudes Clougherty were there in the high school. I can't remember who the fourth person was. It seems to me that after being in Altoona, I went to Resurrection in Brookline for a year. Sister Maria James Cain was the Sister Servant. I taught Music in the school and also had charge of the choir. Father Quinn was the Pastor, and Father Carey, Sr. Mary Agnes Carey's brother was the Assistant. Then the next Summer I was called in by the Mother Superior and told that Father Lonergan had been made Pastor at St. Anselm's in Swissvale, so she was sending me there to teach Gregorian Chant for him. I said: "Oh, Mother, you don't know Father Lonergan. He would never want me." She said: "Father Lonergan was here yesterday and he requested that you be sent there." I still didn't really want to go there. I thought: "Oh my, the Pastor's pet, which may be thought by some." It all worked out. There's a funny little story about what transpired at the meeting in Greensburg between Father Lonergan and Mother Claudia Glenn. The first time that Father Lonergan came over to the convent to see me at St. Anselm's he told me. He said: "What did Mother Claudia tell you about it?" I said: "Nothing, only that you had asked for me." He said: "Yeah, that's right." I went in and Mother Claudia very graciously greeted me. She congratulated me on being appointed Pastor at one of our parishes, where the Sisters of Charity taught. She also said that I had done so much for the Community. So, I picked her up on that. I said: "Yes, when I was Pastor at Sutersville, I encouraged Sisters Marie Stephen and Pancratius Jablonski to enter your Community. Some years later, I encouraged Sr. Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell to enter your Community. So, in a sense, I've been a benefactor to the Sisters of Charity. Now I'm here today to ask you for a loan." Mother Claudia looked at him and said: "Well Father, just a minute." She picked up the phone and asked if Sister Anne Elizabeth Regan would please come in. I think that was the name. She was the Treasurer at the time. Of course, Father was getting a big kick out of this. He didn't know. He thought Sr. Anne Elizabeth might have had something to do with where the Sisters were missioned. Sr. Anne Elizabeth came into Mother.' s o ffice. Mother introduced them, and said: ''Now Father came to request a loan. This is rather unusual, but don't you think we could do something for Father?" Father said: "I just laughed out loud and said: "Hey, what kind of a loan do you think I want?" Then he said that he told her that he just wanted to borrow you for a while to teach Gregorian Chant because I taught you and knew that you would teach it correctly. Then I went to St. James in Wilkinsburg during the year of nineteen forty-four through nineteen forty-five, I think. I was there for just one year because Monsignor Walsh, the Pastor wanted someone to start a Choir there. At this time, I had completed my work in Spanish, and was sent to Johnstown Catholic High School. I taught Spanish in Johnstown Catholic High, which is now Bishop McCourt I was there for ten years. SMCM: Would you say that all of your experiences in Spanish were being especially valued and appreciated by you? SJTO: Oh, yes. I got to the place where I really loved Spanish, although in the beginning I was upset as previously mentioned because I was taken out of French and put into Spanish. SMCM: Sister, where did you live when you taught at Johnstown Catholic High? SJTO: We opened Visitation Convent in Johnstown. They wanted Catechetical work done there. We lived there. When I first went there, Sister (I can't understand the name of the Sister that she is giving here). Anyhow, this Sister was the Sister Servant and taught in the High School. Sister M. Eugenia Hileman taught History, Sister Paulina Glenn taught French, and I taught Spanish. We lived in the new house on Liberty Avenue (I think that's what she said). We taught CCD on Wednesdays evenings after school and on Saturdays. Once again, I had charge of the Choir. SMCM: Sister would you backtrack and tell us where you got your education in Spanish? SJTO: First of all, I had some credits from Seton Hill. When we discovered that my work was not complete, I went to Duquesne University. After that, I went to Seton Hill and Sister Serafina Mazza tutored me in Spanish. The College gave me credits for this until I had the equivalent of a major in Spanish. Sister Serafina had studied at Columbia University in New York, and she wanted me to get my Master's Degree there. I went to Columbia University for two Summers and then I was supposed to stay there for a year to do seminar work on campus. I was living at Johnson Hall and Mother Claudia heard that there had been considerable trouble during the year at Johnson Hall. So she decided that I shouldn't stay in Johnson Hall at Columbia University for a year by myself. She told me that I was to discontinue my work at Columbia University, and that I could continue my work the next Summer at any University of my choice. She strongly recommended Notre Dame because she had studied there. I went to Notre Dame, I believe the Summers of Nineteen Fifty-Two and Nineteen Fifty-Three. I received my Master's Degree from Notre Dame in August of Nineteen Fifty-Four. I also went to Middlebury in Connecticut to study some conversational Spanish. The Community educated me well in Spanish. SJTO: After I left Johnstown, I went to St. Luke's High School in Carnegie for two years. I taught Spanish and the Glee Club. Sister Mary Henry Hanse was the Principal at that time. Then I went to St. James in West End for five years. After that, I went back to St. Luke's. This time, Sister Mary Agnes Schildk:amp was the Principal. Sr. Mary Agnes went West, so Sister Mary Bernard O'Brien was then the Principal. In the meantime, while I was still at St. Luke's, the Mother Superior called and said that I was to come to Seton Hill to teach Spanish in the College, because Sister Mary Agnes Carey had volunteered to go to Korea. Then it was decided at the local level, at St. Luke's, by Father Kernan, who was the Pastor, and Sr. Mary Bernard that I should finish out the school year because St. James, West End was closing, and they were going to invite students from St. James to complete their education at St. Luke's. They felt that since I had taught at West End, that it would be an incentive. This was presented to Mother Claudia, who was Mother Superior at the time, and she gave permission for me to stay at St. Luke's and complete the school year. The school closed in nineteen sixty-two. I did then go to Seton Hill. SMCM: Sister, can you tell me anything about your experience teaching at Seton Hill? SJTO: Well, since Sister Thomas Aquinas (Sr. Mary Agnes Carey), hadn't been here for two years, the Spanish department itself was not functioning as a department. They did hire someone to teach Spanish at the elementary level, and the intermediate level, which would take care of the College requirement. We really didn't have any Spanish majors. When I came however, there were a couple of students who had planned to become Spanish majors, and had taken the intermediate courses. Anyhow, I began working with theses two or three students and eventually the Spanish department did flourish. It was a slow beginning. One of the first things I had to do was to strongly pursue getting a Language Lab as we didn't have one as such. Mark Hoffman, the electrician at Seton Hill had set up what was a very primitive Language Lab in what had been an Oratory on Third Maura. It made it possible to communicate from one tape to another, but certainly did not meet College requirements. So, I went to see Monsignor Ryan. He was very receptive to the idea. He said to me: "You're the one who is going to have to fight for the space." I then had a meeting with Mother Claudia about it, who said she would think about it. At that time, Sister Ann Michaele Reilly was the Treasurer, and I talked to her regarding it. She was very open to the idea, and we talked about what I might use for space. Monsignor Ryan offered money from a small Grant....about Seven Hundred Dollars. At least we had something to start with. He also indicated that we would need furniture.....chairs, etc. He said: "I have a friend in the furniture business. I'll make sure that the furniture is donated." We started in what was a very narrow passageway. The people who published the "Setonian" used to use this space for storage. Then we were give what had been the "History" classroom. We always referred to it as Sister Stanislaus's classroom. This room was large enough for thirty booths for students. They also converted a bathroom and a kitchenette on third Maura into Language Lab space. Tape II Side 1 SMCM: This is a continuation of the interview which is being conducted as part of the Oral History program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell. The interviewer is Sister Marie Corona Miller. It is taking place at Seton Hill. The date is December First, Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Seven. SMCM: Sister, you were telling us about putting in the Spanish Language Lab. SJTO: Well, it's really for all the languages. At that time, we had four modem languages in the College. We had Spanish, French, German and Russian. We no longer have the Russian and the German on campus. Any student who wishes to take Russian or German takes the courses at St. Vincent's. We had Gray (sounded like) Communications come from Pittsburgh and install the Lab. There were thirty booths, which gave the possibility of recording, listening, The communicating between the console and the instructor. They were reel to reel tapes. Years later, I would say in nineteen eighty-three, we decided we had to modernize the Lab. Gray Communications was going out of the Language Lab business, and we were having considerable difficulty having costly repair work done. We applied for a Grant, which we did receive. We installed a modem Language Lab, a computerized console with thirty student booths. One big advantage is that we now have cassettes. Now, the student can record the tape and take it home to practice there. They can't do comparative work at home because in the Lab we set up the recording on two tracks. The Lab we now have was installed by "The Education Media Incorporated" in Oklahoma City in Oklahoma. We're fortunate to have on the faculty, B.J. Burma, a gentleman who is able to make any minor repairs which are needed. SMCM: What about the percentage of students today who are studying Spanish? Has it increased or decreased? SJTO: We had a period when it increased greatly. Then, it fell off as far as majors is conceme but we discovered that it was due to the job market. Spanish or French is an asset for going into any occupation that someone is pursuing. However, they sometimes have to take a second major. For example, we have several who are in business, and they will take either a French or Spanish rmnor. SMCM: Sister, what else can you tell me about the College since you've been here? How many years has it been now? SJTO: Well, this August, I will have been here for twenty-five years. I came to the College in August of Nineteen Hundred Sixty-Two. SMCM: And, are you head of the department? SJTO: No, I was Chair of the department, I believe, for nineteen or twenty years. We are really supposed to rotate every four years, but it didn't work out that way. The other teacher working with me felt that she didn't want that responsibility while she was working for her Master's Degree. She also had responsibilities to her family. Finally, the Dean decided that she would have to take it on because of the policy we had. So, she was the Chair person for four years. Then, she went on for her PIID, so I became the Chairman until she received her PIID. This year, I went on part time. I'm teaching two full courses, helping to supervise the Language Lab, and tutoring three students. SMCM: Now Sister, in your work with teaching Spanish, have you had any occasion of having any experience with the Spanish people? SJTO: My first experience, oddly enough, was when I was studying at Notre Dame. We worked with the Legion of Mary. Father Borestrau (if that's how it's spelled), one of the professors at Notre Dame, took on that responsibility. He used to ask the Sisters who were in the Spanish department if they would volunteer their services. For the three Summers that I was at Notre Dame, I worked with the Migrating Farmers. I worked at a place called "Gunsbob" (again if the Spelling is correct, and it sounds like that is what Sister said). It was an orchard where peaches are grown. The migrants came to that area to work. They lived in wooden shacks with no windows. A square piece of wood was cut of the building and a screen was put over the opening. They had petroleum hot plates for their meals which I suppose they placed over the heat of the stove. If it rained, we had to go into their houses to teach Catechism, which we taught in the morning as well as in the afternoon, and again on Saturdays. Then on Saturday afternoon, we would go out to take the census and visit with the people. While I was at "Gunsbob", there were five families who stayed throughout the year. They all worked on the farm. I know there was one family who also had a store. Very often the children you had one particular Summer did not return the following Summer. There was a Polish church which permitted Father Borestrau to come from Notre Dame and say Mass for the people occasionally. Once in a while other people , would come to this Mass, but it was mostly the migrant farmers. We celebrated receiving your First Holy Communion every Summer, and Confirmation every other Summer. You never saw children so well dressed for anything in your life. I was the only Sister of Charity there. One Summer, there were two Sisters of St. Joseph from Baden, a Franciscan Sister from Iowa, who was a native Spanish speaking person and was there one year, and there were two Dominicans. I believe there were seven of us. We usually tried to keep it at about seven or eight. SMCM: Did you all go to the same place? SJTO: No, the Franciscan Sister and I went to "Gunsbob", and then there were two other farms. The first farm that I went to, I tried, but couldn't stay there because different farms specialize in different things. The first Saturday I went, I was very sick because they had a mint and onion farm. The odor from the ground was beyond my endurance. Then Father gave me a choice of going to a peach or potato farm, either of which was acceptable, so to the peach farm I went. I did this for three Summers. One other thing, on Wednesday evenings, when we were preparing them for their First Communion or Confirmation, The Legion of Mary would transport them to the Grotto at Notre Dame, so that they didn't have to stand in the back of the truck. The Legion of Mary also provided a box lunch for them. I have a cute story that occurred when I was teaching those in the First Communion class. I also taught singing, so for First Communion, taught a Spanish hymn to Mary. Well, they would sing the first verse with gusto, but no matter what I did or said, there was no way they would sing the second verse. Finally, one Wednesday evening when we were practicing there was a woman beside me who also sang the first verse with gusto, but didn't sing the second. I proceeded to tell her ofmy dilemma, and she said: "That's not the second verse." I said: "Well, I'm reading it from the bilingual catechism we were given." She said in Spanish: "Permit me." She started what was the second verse, and you could have heard it three blocks away. They sang what they knew as the second verse, and they were not going to sing what I thought was the second verse. The Mexican women were very kind and receptive. The Mexican men are somewhat anti­ clerical. They didn't bother too much. One day, Father Borestrau said to me: "They will listen to a Sister, but not a priest." When Father wanted the men to receive a message, he would ask the children to bring their Father, and then I would convey the message. SJTO: I think it was in Nineteen Sixty-Nine, that the College gave me the opportunity of going to Spain. I wasn't going there to study, but wanted to travel, to try to get some conversation and learn some first hand information about their customs, their language, and their country in general as I was teaching Spanish. I left Greensburg at the end of May, and returned at the end of August. I covered all of Spain, with the exception of the northwestern comer. While in Spain, I was traveling in a car to a Bookstore to purchase some books to mail back to Greensburg, as I was told it would be less expensive and also possible to find these books. As we were going to the Bookstore along the Main Avenues (portion of this I couldn't get because Sister was speaking too fast), we had an accident. The traffic light was green on both sides. I have never seen this happen. There was a Sister in the car telling me about a statue of the Medici Family (think that's what she said). Luckily, the men coming the other direction were going very slowly, or we would have been killed. Our car was a Fiat. My head went through the windshield. I had a large and small cut on the forehead, and a cut on my nose. All I could see was this blood gushing. The traffic cops in Spain stand on a little pedestal, and they wear white gloves. The traffic cops, of course, came down. The men in the other car were babbling on and on. I kept saying in Spanish that I wanted some help. Finally, they put me in an ambulance and took me to a cop station (she used a term for it, but couldn't understand). It was the equivalent to a First Aid Station. They take all your vitals, bandage you, stop the bleeding, and then ship you off to a hospital. They took me to a Catholic hospital. We had to cross the scene of the accident in order to get there. In the emergency room, they were babbling back in forth in Spanish. I was able to determine what they were saying. The gist of it was that they weren't going to keep this Nun at this hospital, because there's too much problem with the Insurance in getting paid. So, then they took me across town to the Anglo/American Hospital. It was a very small hospital. The doctors for the Air Force are the ones who took care of the patients there. Because ofmy being a Nun, they didn't know what to do with me. There was one room with a vacancy. There was a young woman in this room who had had an abortion, and I suppose that they were hesitant about putting me in with her. I did get put in the room with her. Julie was her name, and we became friends. She had this Spanish boyfriend. It was just unfortunate that she had this trouble. Then they wanted to know if there was someone that they should contact about my being in the hospital. I said no, that I would take responsibility for 13 ffl'lfemmate that sh@ had this tretiale. 'f.hen-they-wanted..toJcnaw..if-theF@-Was-s9ffieet1e-that they should contact.aha eing in the hospital. I saia n&,-that-l-w.o.uld.tak poftSibilrty for whatever. They agreed that I was not in any immediate danger due to my injuries. Tape II Side II SMCM: Sister there's just one more thing I would like to ask you. Do you have any comments about the changes in the Community? SJTO: To be very truthful, they really haven't bothered me. In the beginning, I decided that I would go with the modified habit, and I really didn't expect that both sides of the issue would get along as well as they did. I've been at Seton Hill the whole time, and I haven't suffered in any way due to the changes. I found out that I just live, and let live. I believe that I'm the first one to compliment a Sister who wears a new contemporary dress. SMCM: Did you have any problem with changing to saying the Office? SJTO: No, absolutely none. I feel the same about any other changes which may occur in the Church. I think that we just have to go along with it. SMCM: Sister, is there anything else that you would like to tell me? SJTO: No, I can't think of another thing, and I've rambled a lot, more than I expected to. SMCM: I really appreciated your time today. I know that you are tired after a day of teaching. This tape will be kept in the Archives of the Community at Caritas Christi, where it will be part our heritage as Sisters of Charity. Sr. Marie Arthur: I completed the transcription of the oral history for Sr. Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell on Wednesday, July Seventeenth, Two Thousand Thirteen (2,013). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell Subject The topic of the resource Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1933 until 2006. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on December 1, 1987. Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell - born Abigail Irene O'Donnell on December 16, 1915 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in September of 1933. She received a bachelor's degree in education from Duquesne University in 1947 and a master's degree in Spanish from the University of Notre Dame in 1955. Sister Jude Thaddeus taught in the Pittsburgh-area schools during the fifties and sixties, notably at St. James Elementary School in West End from 1953-1959 and at St. Luke High School from 1959-1962. She then began teaching Spanish at Seton Hill College from 1962-1984, serving as an assistant professor of Spanish. Sister Jude Thaddeus O'Donnell died on January 16, 2006. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/12/01 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-79 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/a0700b1ec99005938e38488d88fa1359.mp3 13a59c787c217a743ba9a130515143fd https://scsharchives.com/files/original/375bb2a7f1df81b100b05e00bceb64cc.mp3 c0e62196a5214b08565fda63d1f5f6a7 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Eugene O'Donnell Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:51 27:02 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister M. Eugene O'Donnell Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Eugene O'Donnell Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister M. Eugene O'Donnell, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1932 until 2007. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on March 16, 1988. Sister M. Eugene O'Donnell - born Gertrude O'Donnell on November 21, 1913 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in March of 1932. She received a bachelor's degree in English and German from the University of Pittsburgh in 1943 and received a master's degree in religion from Providence College in 1953. She taught in the west at Salpointe High School from 1950-1959; she then taught in Pittsburgh-area schools, including at St. Anselm Elementary School from 1959-1961, Holy Innocents School from 1961-1966, and at Sacred Heart High School from 1966-1968. She then served as Religious Education Coordinator in the Diocese of Greensburg for a number of years, concentrating on adult religious education. Sister M. Eugene O'Donnell died on April 19, 2007. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1988/03/16 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-66 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/10f382439a3f7ebe23360d80a6eaaa17.mp3 9de13e0d3b84f18dd500c7b1866e42f0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Immaculata O'Donnell Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:34 22:09 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister M. Immaculata O'Donnell Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Immaculata O'Donnell Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister M. Immaculata O'Donnell, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1928 until 1989. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on February 5, 1987. Sister M. Immaculata O'Donnell - born Mildred O'Donnell on April 29, 1907 - entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in December of 1928. She received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Duquesne University in 1955. However, much of her work was done in medical settings; Sister M. Immaculata was a medical technician at St. Francis Hospital from 1924-1928 and at Pittsburgh Hospital from 1936-1950. She then taught in elementary schools in the Pittsburgh area from 1950-1962 (most notably at St. James Elementary School in Wilkinsburg) before combining her areas of expertise as Director of Admissions at Pittsburgh Hospital School of Nursing from 1964-1977. Sister M. Immaculata O'Donnell died on March 5, 1989. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/02/05 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-54 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister James Marie Malone Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Corinne Omlor Sister M. Harriet Omlor Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 12:04 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound 41-1 Sisters Harriet and Corinne Omlor The following interview is being conducted for an Oral History project sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewees are Sisters Harriet and Corinne Omlor. The interviewer is Sister James Marie Malone. The date is March twenty-fow-th, nineteen eighty­ fow-. We are in St. John Evangelist Convent in Tucson, Arizona. These two Sisters will combine their responses as their life experiences have been so interwoven. SJMM: Sister Corinne, could you give me an example of yow- togetherness? SCO: Yes, Sister Harriet was born in nineteen Hundred Five, and I in nineteen Hundred Six. Sr. Harriet was born on April twenty-third, which was Easter Sunday, and I on May twenty-fourth, Ascension Thw-sday. Since we had very few Catholics in our home town of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, no parochial schools were available, so we were instructed by our parents. Our mother' s Sister was a St. Joseph Sister from Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. In all her letters, especially when we were teenagers, she mentioned many times how one could become a Sister. I really think that was our intention when we petitioned. However, Sr. Harriet went to Seton Hill College, and was greatly influenced by the Sisters, particularly with Sister Carmelita Quigley. After her Freshman year, we both petitioned. I was sponsored by Sr. Miriam Francis Cunningham, who was a good friend of our mother. We keep in touch with our Protestant friends who claim we broaden their views on the Catholic Church. We were advised to enter on September sixth to be near the head of the group. We never really understood this reason. We left on Sunday, and when we were a few blocks from home, I realized that I didn't have my violin. Upon entering the house on our return, I found our mother crying. Later we realized what a great sacrifice our parents had made. SJMM: Sr. Corinne, would you like to tell about some of the Missions you were on? SCO: My first Mission was Holy Innocents in Sheraden. Some of the people I taught there have always kept in touch with me. The second Mission was at St. Stephen' s in Hazelwood. How well I remember that event, for we both had fifth grade. Our fine Principal was Sister Borgio Casey. She was great for having contests between our two classes. I spent a year and a half at Immaculate Conception in Irwin, nine years between Altoona and Johnstown, seventeen years at Resurrection, one year at Sacred Heart, three years and a Summer at St. Jane de Chantal in Bethesda, Maryland, a year at St. John Evangelist in South Side, and finally. my last year 1980 at Cathedral in Greensburg. SJMM: Sister Harriet, Would you tell us about the House of Mary? SHO: I was teaching Music at St. Benedict's (now Cathedral) in Greensburg. Every weekend I rode the bus in to Pittsburgh to help at the House of Mary. I stayed with Sister Cyril Aaron and Sister Angelica Little at Roselia Foundling. All the Sisters were very kind to us. It entailed much walking and it seemed that every family we visited lived on the top floor. After being out on Saturday, we were really tired. The huckster would bring vegetables for us to give or sell to the poor. We would start out again, regardless of the time of day. Sister Angelica Little was an example of great endurance in aiding these people. Policemen wouldn't be seen on some of the streets where we visited people because they were too dangerous. After the house was ready for us to live in, I stayed there for two Summers. Sister Cyril wanted me to stay for the year, but Mother M. Claudia Glenn said that I was to return to Greensburg to teach Music at St. Benedict's. SJMM: Sister Harriet, when you talked about teaching Music at St. Benedict' s, what were the living conditions at that time because the parish did not provide a convent for the faculty teaching there? SHO: Mr. Cramer, the Undertaker, came for us early in the morning at Seton Hill and came back after school and took us back. I was still at the school. One Sister waited for me until six o' clock PM. The truck driver from Seton Hill came for us an-d drove us home. These were hard times. The days were long. Many of the prayers which were said during the day were said at night. Our maintenance man would drive to Seton Hill at Noon to get our basket of food which was prepared by the kitchen employees at Seton Hill. SJMM: Sister Harriet, would you like to mention your other Eastern Missions? SHO: Sister Corinne and I were stationed at Resurrection in Brookline together. We got interested in teaching classes there. Two years that we spent in Washington, DC, in Workshops gave us an opportunity to visit Washington. After teaching Music at Resurrection, Mother Claudia Glenn assigned each of us to a second grade when the Missions were announced in Cecilian Hall. From that time on we have been in the classroom. When I was Sister Servant and Principal at St. Bruno's in Greensburg for three years, I developed Sclera Derma. The last year, I was limping quite a bit, and Sister Mary Donald Cusick came to supervise At Noon, she went to Assumption and returned with a wheel chair. All the children enjoyed wheeling me from class to class and many times were breaking the speed limit! The Parishioners were very attentive in transporting me back and forth between the school and the convent. At the end of the third year, I asked to go West, and was sent to the Casa Elizabeth Seton in Tucson, Arizona...the only year I was off duty. Sister Mary Inez Clark and the other Sisters were very good to me. The next year, nineteen sixty-seven, I went to Chandler, and have been there ever since. SJMM: (I couldn' t clearly hear this question). I'm sure though that she was asking Sr. Corinne about going West. SCO: Since it was a difficult time for Sister Harriet, Mother Victoria Brown gave me permission to go to St. Teresa' s in Phoenix. It was in August and was extremely hot. It was in nineteen sixty-seven. I was fortunate to have Sister Macaria Nestor as Sister Servant. She wanted me to see so many beautiful sights. I spent four years there teaching the fourth grade. I left St. Teresa' s in nineteen seventy-five and came to St. Mary' s in Chandler where we celebrated our Fiftieth Jubilee. I taught fourth grade for several years, and then part time teaching Religion because the teacher was not a Catholic. I am now in the Library assisting Sr. Harriet and enjoying it immensely. I play the violin at the nine o'clock Mass on Sundays. SJMM: Sr. Corinne, it's a good thing that you came to share your talents with the children. SCO: Yes, I'm happy to be using my talents in the service of the Lord. We both now are semi retired. We don't receive a salary. Since we have more time of our own, we are Eucharistic Ministers...give Communion to the Sick, and visit the lonely. SJMM: Sr. Harriet and Sr. Corinne, I realize that there have been others who have had Sisters in the Community, who have become Sisters of Charity on the same day, but I doubt that there have eee t-nm-thet: ha-ve been others who have lived their lives so closely together. Thank you, and may God continue to bless both of you. Sr. Marie Arthur Hamilton: I completed the transcription of this oral history of Sisters Harriet and Corinne Omlor on Thursday, January thirty-frrst, two thousand thirteen...2013 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sisters M. Corinne Omlor and Harriet Omlor Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Corinne Omlor Sister M. Harriet Omlor Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sisters M. Corinne Omlor and M. Harriet Omlor, Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill and blood-sisters. The interview was conducted by Sister James Marie Malone on March 24, 1984. Sister M. Corinne Omlor and Sister Mary Harriet Omlor were biological sisters who were daughters of Hubert Omlor and Cora Ann Noel. Sister Mary Harriet was born on April 23rd, 1905 in Waynesburg, Pa. As well as Sister M. Corrine, who was born on May 24th, 1906. Mary Helen Omlor and Cecelia Adelaide Omlor entered the community on September 8th, 1925. Mary Helen Omlor was 20 years old and entered as Sister Mary Harriet Omlor. Cecelia Adelaide Omlor was 19 years old and entered as Sister M. Corinne Omlor. Sister Mary Harriet received her B.M. in Music from Seton Hill College in 1937. She was a piano teacher at Cathedral, Greensburg from 1950-1951; Sacred Heart, Pittsburgh from 1951-1955; Resurrection, Pittsburgh from 1955-1959; St. Teresa Munhall from 1959-1961; Holy Cross, Youngwood from 1961-1963; St. Bruno from 1963-1965; St. Mary, Chandler from 1967-1969; Basha Elementary from 1969 to 1978. She received her B.M. in Music from Seton Hill College in 1937. Her Final Procession was on May 1st, 1949. Sister Mary Harriet Passed on December 10th, 1984 at the age of 79. Sister M. Corrine Omlor received her B.M. in Violin and Minor in Piano from Seton Hill College in 1947. She taught music in grades 3, 4, and 5 at Resurrection, Pittsburgh from 1950 to 1961. She taught at St. Jane de Chantal, MD from 1961-1964. She taught at St. Teresa, Phoenix from 1967-1974 where she then taught at Basha Elementary from 1974 to 1986. Overall, she taught for 46 years. Her Final Procession was on May 15th, 1949. Sister M. Corinne Omlor passed on September 5th, 2007 at the age of 101. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984/03/24 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-41 Basha Elementary Brookline PA Cathedral School Chandler AZ Glyndon MD Greensburg PA Holy Cross Youngwood Munhall PA Music Teacher Piano Pittsburgh PA Resurrection PGH Sacred Heart PGH Seton Hill College St. Bruno St. Jane de Chantal MD St. Mary Chandler St. Teresa AZ St. Teresa Munhall Violin Waynesburg Youngwood PA Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Brigid Marie Grandey Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Jean Frances Peters Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:56 31:55 31:56 31:55 26:14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Jean Frances Peters Subject The topic of the resource Sister Jean Frances Peters Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Jean Frances Peters, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1931 until 1999. The interview was conducted by Sister Brigid Marie Grandey on October 16, 1987. Sister Jean Frances Peters was born on July 7th, 1912 in Yukon, Pa. Daughter of Otto Peters and Margaret Gillespie, Grace Mildred Peters entered the community on December 8th, 1931 at the age of 18 as Sister Jean Frances Peters. Sister Jean Frances was a primary school teacher for 5 years, an intermediate teacher for 15 years, and an upper elementary teacher for 20 years. She taught at Sacred Heart from 1952 to 1958. She also taught at St. Teresa, Munhall; St. Luke, Carnegie; summer sessions at SS Peter & Paul, Tucson, Arizona. She received her B. Ed. in Elementary Education from Duquesne University in 1949. Her Final Procession was on May 17th, 1949. Sister Jean Frances Peters passed on November 20th, 1999 at the age of 87. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/10/16 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-64 Duquesne University Peter & Paul Sacred Heart St. Luke St. Teresa Tucson AZ Yukon Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sisters Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Agatha Proctor Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:56 23:30 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister M. Agatha Proctor Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Agatha Proctor Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister M. Agatha Proctor, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1935 until 1990. The interview was conducted by Sisters Marie Corona Miller on July 3, 1987. Sister M. Agatha Proctor was born on December 10th, 1905 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of William Proctor and Wary O'Brien, Helen Josephine Proctor entered the community on March 25th, 1935 at the age of 29 as Sister M. Agatha Proctor. Sister M. Agatha was an elementary teacher of grades 3 through 6 from 1937 to 1979 at various places: St. John, Tucson AZ, Sacred Heart, Holy Innocents, St. James Wilkinsburg, St. Kieran, St. Teresa Munhall, and Carnegie Catholic. She received her B. Ed. in Elementary Education from Duquesne University in 1949. Sister M. Agatha Proctor passed on May 15th, 1990 at the age of 84. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/07/03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-85 Carnegie Catholic Duquesne University Holy Innocents Munhall Pittsburgh Sacred Heart St. James Wilkinsburg PA St. John the Evangelist School St. Kieran's School St. Teresa Teacher Tucson AZ https://scsharchives.com/files/original/a30028f6298450f6eed877448af7dd6b.mp3 c889980d1a5afef874daa1489466ae3f https://scsharchives.com/files/original/565bbf56437f261acb125b8f6dd211fd.mp3 355e0c45caaa5286e79a1088b58fb646 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Sara Louise Reilly Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Dorothy Marie Quigley Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:32 31:33 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Dorothy Marie Quigley Subject The topic of the resource Sister Dorothy Marie Quigley Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Dorothy Marie Quigley, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1941 until 1993. The interview was conducted by Sister Sara Louise Reilly on June 3 and 10, 1984. Sister Dorothy Marie Quigley was born on July 15th, 1912 in Erie, Pa. Daughter of William James Quigley and Florence Elizabeth Flanagan, Dorothy May Quigley entered the community on March 25th to May 18th, 1938. Then, she re-entered on September 8th, 1941 at the age of 29. Sister Dorothy Marie was an elementary teacher from 1944 to 1952 at Cathedral, Altoona. She went on to teach in the Home Economics Department at Seton Hill College in 1955. During the summer sessions of 1960-1964 and 1974, Sister Dorothy Marie taught Child Care in the Home Economics Department at Seton Hill College. She directed the Seton Hill Day Care, and by 1978 there were four federally centers and four state-funded centers. This was the first head start program in Westmoreland County; Seton Hill Day Care Incorporated. They received federal funding in 1966 to start the Seton Hill Day Care Inc., which was the country's first Head Start early-education program for children. Sister Dorothy Marie served as the Director of the program for 17 years and she supervised its expansion to include 12 day and home care centers throughout the city. Sister Dorothy Marie received her B.S. in Home Economics from Seton Hill College in 1954. Then, she went on to Cornell University to receive her M.S. in Home Management and Foods in 1960. In 1983, she coordinated the PACT - Pregnant Adolescent Child Care Training. Sister Dorothy Marie Quigley passed on September 7th, 1993 at the age of 81. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984/06/03 1984/06/03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-92 Cornell University Erie PACT Professor of Home Economics Seton Hill College Seton Hill Day Care Teacher https://scsharchives.com/files/original/12d98bb87c35e0ec29fea8bf69158a47.mp3 52c4ffe2cad8a96421405d4599583276 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Virginia Pascaretta Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Marie Martha Randall Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:34 23:40 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Marie Martha Randall Subject The topic of the resource Sister Marie Martha Randall Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Marie Martha Randall, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1930 until 1986. The interview was conducted by Sister Virginia Pascaretta on May 12, 1984. Sister Marie Martha Randall was born on July 7th, 1900 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of Jacob Norton Randall and Mary Catherine Keenan, Martha Gertrude Randall entered the community on September 8th, 1930 at the age of 30 as Sister Marie Martha Randall. Sister Marie Martha Randall was a Professor in the Education Department at Seton Hill College from 1955 to 1967. She taught Visual Education at Seton Hill College during Summer Sessions from 1938 to 1967. She taught at various schools: Holy Innocents, St. Anselm, Elizabeth Seton High School, St. John the Evangelist in Tucson, and Immaculate Conception School in Irwin, Pa. Sister Marie Martha Randall received her B.S. in Education and a Minor in History and English from the University of Pittsburgh in 1934. Then, in 1940, she received her M.E. in Education and a Minor in Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh. She would go on to taking summer session courses at Penn State University for Education in 1945 and summer session courses at Seton Hill College for an area of study in the Bible in 1967. Sister Marie Martha Randall passed on December 9th, 1986 at the age of 86. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984/05/12 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-58 Elizabeth Seton High School Holy Innocents Immaculate Conception School Irwin PA Pittsburgh Professor of Education Seton Hill College Professor St. Anselm St. John the Evangelist Tucson AZ University of Pittsburgh Visual Education https://scsharchives.com/files/original/64de72cda37f5d53fab545369499a06d.mp3 6bd9ef60ebda85edcf9bc30bdab6491e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Miriam Agnes Regets Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:22 11:09 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound 1 OH 18-1 Sr. Mir. Agnes Regets This interview is being conducted as part of the oral history program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister Miriam Agnes Regets. The interview is.being conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller at Seton Hill College. The date is February twenty-fifth, nineteen eighty-eight. SMCM: Good Morning Sister Miriam Agnes. SMAR: Good morning. SMCM: How are you today? SMAR: For my age, I think I'm doing pretty well. SMCM: Sister, I came over here this morning to talk to you about some of the significant things in your life as a Sister of Charity. You have been at Seton Hill for how many years? SMAR: I've been here for sixty-seven years. SMCM: What was the date of your birth? SMAR: I was born May twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred one. L don't remember my mother. My father married a second time. SMCM: Where were you baptized? SMAR: I was baptized in St. Charles Borromeo Church in Sutersville, PA. I don't know who the priest was. SMAR: What about your father? Where did he come from? SMAR: He came from Austria. He and his five brothers came to America. SMCM: What kind of work did your father do? SMAR: He worked in the mines. SMCM: Did you have any brothers or sisters? SMAR: I had a brother whose name was Michael and a sister named Julia. Julia died from cancer, I believe. My brother was named after my father whose name was Michael. I had a half­ sister, Helen. She's still living. SMCM: Sister, where did you go to school? SMAR: I went to grade school in Sutersville. SMCM: Was it a one room school? SMAR: No, we had two or four rooms. I went there for grades one through eight. I wanted to go to high school but couldn't as it was too far away and there was no way to get me there. I stayed around home, but then got a job. There was a Federal Supply Company store in our area. They kept in touch with the miners. We kept a record of their earnings in order to pay their bills at the store. They would send a lot of newspaper which we put into bales for the purpose of recycling. SMCM: Sister, how did you come in contact with the Sisters of Charity? SMAR: At first, it was through Sister Marie Stephen and Sister Pancratius Jablonski. We used to be in the choir at St. Charles Borromeo parish. We used to teach catechism...Sr. Marie Stephen, 2 Sr. Pancratius and I. Father Lonergan became interested in us. We taught downstairs, and once in a while Father would come to see the children. I believe I came in contact with the Sisters of Charity through Sr. Marie Stephen and Sr. Pancratius who may have entered frrst and we kept in touch. They kept in touch with Father Lonergan . This was inaudible, but I believe she indicated that Father Lonergan sent some kind of communication saying that she would be suited for religious life. Then I did make a visit out to Seton Hill. I don't remember much about the visit. SMCM: Do you remember the names of any sister that was at Seton Hill when you visited there? SMAR: I remember Sister M. Paula Moran. There was another sister whose name I can't remember. It was such a long time ago. SMCM: Was your father still living when you entered the community? SMAR: Yes. He died some time after I entered. SMCM: Sister, when did you come to Seton Hill to enter? SMAR: I don't specifically remember the year. It was either nineteen eighteen or nineteen nineteen. SMCM: Do you remember if it was on September eighth? SMAR: Yes, it was September eighth. SMCM: Who was the Mother Superior when you entered and who was your mistress? SMAR: Mother Mary Joseph Havey was the Mother Superior and Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers was the Mistress of Novices. SMCM: Sister, tell me about the sister who sponsored you. Who took care of you when you entered? You did tell me that there was one sister who helped you. SMAR: Sister Columba Henry helped me. (Sister had a difficult time remembering anything about this.; SMCM: Did you have classes during your postulancy? SMAR: Yes, we had classes until I went out on mission. I don't remember much about the classes. When we went out on mission we went to school on Saturdays. SMCM: Then, you did go out on mission after your novitiate training. Where did you go? SMAR: I don't recall where I went first. I know at some time I was in Altoona? SMCM: Was that at the Cathedral or at Saint John's What did you teach? How long were you there? SMAR: I believe it was at Saint John's. I taught the primary grades. I don't remember how long lwas there. SMCM: Where else were you on mission? SMAR: I was at Holy Cross· in Pittsburgh. I was also at St. Mary Magdalene's in Homestead. It was here in Homestead I had a bad physical experience. I was walking with Sister M. Paula Moran to her home. As we were passing a fence, there was a dog behind the fence who began to bark. He sounded so angry that I thought he would tear us apart. Whether it was that which affected me, I don't know, but that night I couldn't breathe. I had a bad headache. I called to the sisters for help saying: "I can't breathe. I feel like I'm going to die!"Some of our sisters were there. She seemed to be trying to mention some of the sisters' names...! believe one was Sister 3 Richard Marie Greeley, and Sister Agnes (the one in charge, possibly Sr. Agnes Marie Reuber?) The first thing in the morning , I was put in the room next to the chapel. From there I was sent to Pittsburgh Hospital. After a time in the hospital, I was asked if my mother told me that I was a blue baby. I said that my mother died when I was three years old, so therefore I don't remember. I had a Doctor Dzffi-a while at Pittsburgh hospital. He was supposed to have kept one of our (\ sisters in bed for eight years. I said: "He's not going to keep me in bed that long!" From.there , I was sent to Provident hospital in Beaver Falls. There I had Doctor Wilson. I came back via ambulance with Sister M. Marcella Renninger to Pittsburgh hospital. After my stay at the hospital, I came back to Seton Hill. SMCM: So, have you been at Seton Hill ever since you came back.from the hospital? SMAR: Yes, I think so. That was in nineteen thirty-two. SMCM: By this time, had you made your vows? SMAR: Oh, yes. SMCM: What did you do at the Hill when you first came? SMAR: Whatever we were given to do. I just don' t remember what. Whenever I came from the hospital, I was put in the Infirmary. I thought that just the old sisters were there. I said to Mother Evaline Fisher, who was the Mother Superior " Mother, I don't think I can stay in the Infirmary. lfl could just have something to do, it would help me." She said: "Alright, Sister, we' ll find something." She came the next day and said that they thought I could work at the switchboard. The time I was given was increased gradually. SMCM: Could you tell us where the switchboard was first located? SMAR: Yes, it was down in a room on the first floor next to the lobby. It had been in the lobby, but they had it moved into the room which was to the left of the lobby. Sometime later, it was · moved into the room which had been known as the "Tea Room." One time, during a bad storm, lightening hit the wires and I was thrown. I had been putting a call through for Mother M. Claudia Glenn. I was able to put the call through after this incident. SMCM: So, you were at the phone for many hours then? SMAR: Well, my hours kept increasing and many times I had to fill in for someone who couldn' t take their place. Then of course Mrs. Bortz came. Dolores (I think her name was Daily) also came. The board was open day and night. That's why we had to have additional people. SMCM: You got to. know many people during your hours at the switchboard, didn' t you? SMAR: Oh, yes. You got to know them, where to get them, and all that kind of thing. Even now, I remember how when cars would be parked out front, we would get a call from Frank Baker or Bernard Baumeister, two of our men who worked for us, telling us to have people move their cars. I think there were pipes underneath that pavement, and they might have been worried about a cave-in. SMCM: About how many years were you at the switchboard? SMAR: /Siste r rambled here) She said: " Well, I was in the community for fifty years; and some of my friends told me it was time for me to let the younger people take care of the switchboard, meaning Mrs. Bortz and Dolores Daily. Assumption Hall opened and I thought it would be good if I offered to take a few hours of the day there and perhaps save a little if they had to pay 4 someone." SMCM: Did you move to Assumption Hall then? SMAR: No, I stayed at Seton Hill and traveled back and forth daily. SMCM: How many years did you go back and forth to Assumption Hall? SMAR: Not too many, because I think that something happened so that I couldn't go there. SMCM: In those days we had the call bell system. Do you have any stories that you want to share about that? SMAR: Oh my, yes. That was really something. I remember Sister Mildred Corvi. She went to the college. Then she entered the community. SMCM: Do you remember anything about any of the older sisters who were around during your time at Seton Hill? Sr. Marie Arthur:(Sister just seemed to ramble here. The questions Sr. Marie Corona asked Sr. Miriam Agnes were too difficult for her to answer because of having poor memory.) SMCM: Sister, how do you like the changes that were made in living in small groups at Seton Hill. Did you like the changes? SMAR: Well, you have to keep up with the times. The sisters were good about informing each other about what you needed to know. SMCM: Do you think you have adjusted well to these changes? SMAR: Oh, yes. We have to put up with each other. SMCM: How do you like the changes made in our prayer, specifically saying the Office? SMAR: We have the books. Again, we have to go along with whatever changes are needed as time goes on. One has to be open and resigned to whatever happens. SMCM: Sister, you were telling me about Sister Mary Matthew Con&lly. What exactly did she do here at the college? SMAR:(I wasn't able to make any sense out of what Sister Miriam Agnes was saying here. She is very confused!) SMCM: Sister asked again just what Sr. Mary Matthew was in charge of. SMAR: Here, Sister does say that Sr. Mary Matthew was in charge of the employees and anything else that needed to be taken care of. Sister also said that something happened to Sr. Mary Matthew. She wasn't sure just what that was. However, she then said that Sister Rose Agnes McGowan took Sr. Mary Matthew's duties over. SMCM: Can you tell us anything that you remember about Sr. Rose Agnes? . SMAR: She was wonderful to live with. She was on the job all the time. She never answered her bell, because she had to be outside so much. SMCM: Didn't Sr. Rose Agnes have to sign out at the switchboard? SMAR: Oh. Yes. She didn't always remember because she had so many things to do. It wasn't easy to find her! SMCM: Sister, how long do you plan on staying at Seton Hill? 5 SMAR: I don't know. They gave me a heart pacer. The Doctor gave me two years to live when I came to Seton Hill in nineteen thirty-two. I'm eighty-six years old. I'll be eighty-seven in May. I'm concerned about how much it cost to give me a pace maker. Sr. Mary Paul Coleman sends me things periodically, which I give to Sister Rose Irene Boggs, who is our treasurer. I said: "I think I'm spending too much money for this business on an old hag like me." I want to keep my prayers up for the community, the missions, priests, etc. SMCM: Is there anything else you would like to tell me about your history? SMC : I don't know that I have a good history. The Lord has been keeping me here for something. Mother Seton also is watching over me in the Community. SMCM: What do you hope for the Community in the future? SMAR: I hope of course that we will continue. Assumption Hall is wonderful. The Sisters there pray hard for the Community. That's where I landed after being at Seton Hill. SMCM: So, you are really a part of the wonderful ffeyer and good works that are being done at Assumption Hall? " SMAR: Oh my, yes. We have to keep up the prayers, because after all, we can't do it ourselves. The Lord has to help us. SMCM: I want to sincerely thank you for giving your time to me for your oral history. It will certainly add to the history of the Community, and the tape will be kept in the Archives of the Community at Caritas Christi. SMAH: I completed the transcription of this tape on the oral history of Sr. Miriam Agnes Regets on September 17, 2012. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Miriam Agnes Regets Subject The topic of the resource Sister Miriam Agnes Regets Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Miriam Agnes Regets, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1919 to 1992. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on February 25, 1988. Sister Miriam Agnes Regets was born on May 25th, 1901 in Smithdale, Pa. Daughter of Michael Regets and Mary Sichon, Mary Ann Regets entered the community on September 8th, 1919 at the age of 18 as Sister Miriam Agnes Regets. Sister Miriam Agnes was a "PBX Attendant" - commonly known as a telephone attendant - at Seton Hill College from 1950-1979. She was an elementary teacher in the Pittsburgh and Altoona-Johnstown Dioceses. Her parents were both born in Austria. Sister Miriam Agnes Regets passed on April 9th, 1992 at the age of 90. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1988/02/25 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-18 Seton Hill College Switchboard Operator Teacher Telephone Attendant https://scsharchives.com/files/original/da27dc053a9c74477794723019040980.mp3 94eedf322f0b7e18d9b28f2f5d266fec Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Joseph Louise Reilly Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:23 08:17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Joseph Louise Reilly Subject The topic of the resource Sister Joseph Louise Reilly Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Joseph Louise Reilly, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1922 until 2003. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on April 13, 1987. Sister Joseph Louise Reilly was born on April 20th, 1903 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of Patrick J. Reilly and Catherine A Myron, Mary Agnes Reilly entered the community on December 8th, 1922 at the age of 19 as Sister Joseph Louise Reilly. Sister Joseph Louise taught upper elementary for 1 year and secondary for 39 years. She was an elementary librarian for 3 years and then 6 years for secondary. She was an administrator in elementary for 6 years and secondary for 6 years. She taught and administrated at Bishop Carroll High School in Ebensburg, St. Pancratius School in Lakewood, CA, and St. James in the West End. Sister Joseph Louise Reilly received her B.S. in Business and a Minor in History from the University of Pittsburgh in 1942. Then, in 1953, she received her Certification in Library Science from Duquesne Unversity. Her father was born in Ireland and her mother was born in England. Sister Joseph Louise Reilly passed on March 16th, 2003 at the age of 99. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/04/13 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-26 Bishop Carroll High School Duquesne University Ebensburg PA Educational Administrator Lakewood CA Librarian Pittsburgh St. James School West End St. Pancratius Teacher University of Pittsburgh https://scsharchives.com/files/original/335220ca5d2595b0008f44123331e21c.mp3 a0ba874e349ea1d53be503426107bc21 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/b7ff03ca961c42a40edf87320ac2d1c2.mp3 41d7ffe8286236078d3d82bbc3de5606 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Mary Janet Ryan Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:56 31:56 20:57 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Mary Janet Ryan Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Janet Ryan Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Janet Ryan, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1935 until 2017. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on May 11, 1988. Sister Mary Janet Ryan was born on May 31st, 1918 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of Alexader Ryan and Josephine Dalton, Jeannette Ryan entered the community on September 8th, 1935 at the age of 17 as Sister Mary Janet Ryan. Sister Mary Janet taught intermediate for 3 years, upper elementary for 15 years, secondary for 12 years, and college for 7 years. She was a History Professor at Seton Hill College from 1965 to 1979. She taught history in the summer sessions at SHC in 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958-1960, 1962, and 1975. She taught in Louisiana Schools as well as in the Pittsburgh Diocese. Sister Mary Janet received her B. Ed. in Secondary Education from Duquesne University in 1947. Then, in 1953, she received her M.L. in Geography from the University of Pittsburgh. Sister Mary Janet Ryan passed on September 15th, 2017 at the age of 99. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1988/05/11 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-88 Duquesne University Pittsburgh Professor of History Seton Hill College Teacher University of Pittsburgh https://scsharchives.com/files/original/03d0e5f1648f1f1c18c4ee7b86a7e3ed.mp3 4e4d30a6183d1718c992ad7029bdd143 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/e7be61f5afb5fcdcd7d41f12b11da133.mp3 f57028cb38dd66471985f2a509a7157c https://scsharchives.com/files/original/d2aa396a74d2c75890ca9cd98406521d.mp3 0869a42325218cd7726155573badea87 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/ede977bb9d7866a351d6e81e0cd5a16e.mp3 5e40d44d4288ee4d7bafc57f243d6f6a https://scsharchives.com/files/original/0775c39a4eb3ea175b87c6b613b97ebd.mp3 ab155ab2e934cf714d7eba6de0921b68 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/68be0f64dd35fb312d5be0aa8e227700.mp3 2108180f576e0783d0394d1f029cff49 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/aa7f5a221602642d29f53b961bdd4bb0.mp3 e8ff4c798bf94182c283113f3780a503 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/f9f56d700ce434b02ad8b2ad41623d3c.mp3 89300ddfb37876fb6db4863bfbb73935 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/7e6eca3d3126509ac892a61a889a597c.mp3 d31cefba9806c155eee70c4efdbad2e3 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/581595f4ec4f3aebfce022af41cfc981.mp3 f692f53dbc61f30c20646cd7c443748d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Mary Agnes Schildkamp Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:36 31:35 31:59 31:54 31:52 31:57 31:56 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 52-1-2-3 Sr. Mary Aqnes Schildkamp SMCM: This is an oral history for the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The Interviewee is Sr. Mary Agnes Schildkamp and the Interviewer is Sr. Marie Corona Miller. The interview is being conducted at the Greensburg Faculty House. The date is November 19, 1986. It will be kept in the Archives of the Sisters of Charity at Caritas Christi. SMCM: Good afternoon, Sr. Mary Agnes. How are you this afternoon? SMAS: I'm fine, Sr. Marie Corona. Thank you. SMCM: Would you like to tell us something about your personal history? SMAS: Yes. I'll tell you about my community history. The records will show that I entered the Community from St. John the Baptist in Scottdale on July 1: 1928, which was my sixteenth birthday. A few weeks prior to this I completed my Junior year in High School on August 28, 1928. Sister Marion McKelvy entered with me. I remember Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers coming to the convent at St. John's in Scottdale, at which time she arranged for me to enter on July 1, 1928. It was Sunday and when it got to be five o'clock, my family had to leave. I didn't know my way around. Fortunately, Sr. Marion McKelvy, who had graduated from the college arrived. She introduced herself and proceeded to take me to the Sister's Dining R,oom for dinner; It was Summer, so all of the sisters were home, which was about five. hundred in ilumber. That night, I was taken to my sleeping quarters. There were either six or eight people in the dormitory, two of which were former teachers...Sr. Angelica Little and Sr. Serafina Mazza. There they were, the same dormitory. They were senior novices. It was my mother who favored my entering the Sisters of Charity. My father had his normal, masculine doubts. I think deep down he was pleased. I finished my fourth year of high school the February after entering. I did then, February of nineteen twenty-nine begin taking college courses. Classes were assigned to you. I was to have Sister Stanislaus McVay for history and Sister Beatrice Gority for Introduction to Teaching. SMCM: Could you tell us anything about Sister Stanislaus? SMAS: Yes. Today, we talk about global history. Sister Stanislaus's history was more about local history. I couldn't tell you how many times I had my father volunteer to take the class to Bushy Run! He enjoyed it. I was supposed to take Introduction to Teaching as aforementioned. Well, I hadn't been going as my other classwork was keeping me so busy. One day, Sister Eveline Fisher, who later became Mother Eveline, stopped me and asked why I hadn't been going to this class. I didn't know any better, so simply responded that it would be too difficult for me to take this class and keep up with my other assignments. Well, I soon learned that you did what was assigned. SMCM: Who was your Mistress of Novices, and who was in charge of the Community? SMAS: Mother Mary Francis McCullough was the Mistress of Novices, and Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers was in charge of the Community. SMCM: When did you receive the habit? SMAS: Sr. Marion McKelvy and I received our names and the habit on October 2, 1928. We received the habit in the Oratory on Third Administration the evening before. Everything was as usual the next day. We had Mass, meals were in silence, all proceeded as in a regular day. SMAS: I was sent to St. Anselm's in Swissvale as a white cap, which is not ordinarily permitted. It was to replace Sr. Mary Alfred Sharp, who was ill. It was a seventh grade. It was just a matter of a few weeks. I remember Sister Benedicta Kelly, very formally, and authoritatively telling her little children that I was a very important person because I was wearing a white cap. Only important people wore white caps. From there I substituted at Sacred Heart on Center Avenue from December until June. Sister M. Eugenia Hileman was the principal. It was a temporary assignment. Some of the students I taught in my time there were: Sr. M. Rosaline Walsh, Sr. Mary Janet Ryan, Sr. Jane McNulty, and Vincent Mcconaughy, brother of our Sr. Margaret Teresa McConaughy, with whom I kept in contact for many years. Vincent became a Maryknoll Missionary for many years. From there I went to St. Stephen's in Hazelwood. By this time it was about 1930. I have very warm recollections of my three years at St. Stephen's. It was during the years of the Great Depression. I saw the soup kitchen in operation, the steel mills, great care on the part of the priests, the sisters, and all parishioners. I was at St. Stephen's for three years. Sister Borgia Casey was the Sister Servant and Principal. I don't mind saying for the sake of history that one of the reasons why my experience there was so warm was due to the fact that Sister Borgia was such a great lady! I've gone through more than fifty years since then and haven't found dedication to surpass hers. She wasn't just herself dedicated to teaching in the classroom, but taught other teachers to do the same. I know now that more than half the sisters in the house felt that we were so fortunate to have had Sister Borgia. We were still novices as we had a five year novitiate. ( Sister mentions other sisters whose names I ccmldn't detect, the only one being Sr. Rose Eileen Brazell). I was teaching seventh grade there a year and a half before Sister Borgia came into my classroom. She was always positive. If she had a favorite subject, it was composition. For example, if something was written on the board that wasn't up to par, she· would just comment by saying something like:" I know that there must be something good in this paragraph by Johnnie Cherubim ( I remember him). . Otherwise, Sister would not have let Johnnie write this on the board." Johnnie had written about Pontius Pilate. In the middle of the paragraph he wrote: "And Pontian Pilate, the dirty devil."When she got to that, Sr. Borgia said: "Yes, Johnnie was angry at Pontius Pilate." Then she would graciously proceed, enhancing the lesson. I had taken a course in Methods of Teaching English Composition from Sr. Teresa Clare Kernan at Seton Hill in Maura Hall the summer before. It was quite a large class, and Sr. Teresa Clare had already become a popular, experienced teacher even though she was not that much older than I. I wasn't afraid to see Sr. Borgia after school regarding the interview. Perhaps I was feeling over confident because she may have been looking for me to say I had done a good job. However, when she met me that evening, she said: "Oh, Sister Mary Agnes, that must have been a wonderful course in English Composition that Sr. Teresa Clare Kernan taught you." She didn't say I did a wonderful job at all. I told this to Sr. Teresa Clare many times. From St. Stephen's, I went to Holy Innocents in the Sheraden part of Pittsburgh for one year. Then I went to Cathedral in Altoona for six years. It was a busy place. I was there from 1934 until 1940. The most influential event was in 1939. Bishop Guilfoyle insisted that there·would be a good, active, sodality, consisting of both girls and boys in the eighth grade. Sister Agnes Marie Reuber was the Principal and Sister Servant. Sr. Agnes Marie and I were sent to attend classes under Father Daniel J. Lord ( what it sounds like). He had what he called "Summer Classes for Catholic Action", which took place in six locations throughout the country for six summers. Sr. Agnes Marie and I were fortunate enough to be asked to go to one in Washington, DC for a week in summer school. That in itself was a wonderful experience as Father Lord was a dynamic teacher as well as Counselor and Director of Activities. From Washington, we went to Emmitsburg. One of the girls who had graduated from the Academy with Sister Hildegarde Eichenlaub, invited Sr. Hildegarde and me to go to Emmitsburg. She was a Daughter of Charity. We stayed for a few days. That was my first visit to Emmitsburg, though I have had many since. From Altoona, I went to Sacred Heart for one year. In 1941, I was read out on the mission list as going to Elizabeth Seton High School. It was just the second year for Elizabeth Seton, and Sister Regina Clare Breigg was already the Principal and English teacher. So, immediately after the mission list was read, I met Sr. Regina Clare and said:"Regina, what in the world am I going to do at Elizabeth Seton since you are the English teacher?" She said: ''Now don't worry Mary Agnes. We don't need a regular English teacher. We don't need a regular Science teacher. We just need someone to teach Biology." That summer, I took my required Science work...Micro-Biology, which was taught by Sister Muriel Flamman. I thoroughly enjoyed the class, and apparently talked about it too much at the lunch table, which was with Sr. Regina Clare. That was the beginning of twelve years at Elizabeth Seton High School. Sister Regina Clare was at Seton for the usual six year period of time. Every once in a while I would ask her if I had achieved "regular teacher status." In time, we did get a regular science teacher in the person of Sister Jane McNulty, a former student of mine at Sacred Heart. Elizabeth Seton High School was, as far as the Congregation is concerned, of great importance to the history of the Sisters of Charity. Through the efforts of the Parents Guild, we were able t0 pay off whatever the costs were to purchase and reconstruct the old school building, and further to plan for the construction of the buildings which are presently there. We were busy twelve months of the year with fund raising. I had been going to Catholic University in the summers to work on my Master's Degree. In fact my course work was finished. I just had my theses to do and had put it on hold. However, Mother Victoria Brown urged me on to finish this degree. She wanted sisters to achieve the highest degree possible. At any rate, they were great years at Elizabeth Seton....pioneering. We grew very close to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton during my time there. We had prayers and events to promote the canonization of Elizabeth Seton. One of the events having to do with Elizabeth Seton involved Father Lord again. He was a good friend of Monsignor Oliver Keefer. Father Lord was the national sodality leader. Monsignor Keefer was the diocesan sodality leader. The relationship between Father Lord and Monsignor Keefer struck me as being like father to son. Monsignor Keefer had been made pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Scott Township. Previous to his assignment to Our Lady of Grace, Monsignor Keefer had been teaching Religion at Elizabeth Seton. He had to stop teaching because his duties at Our Lady of Grace would not permit him to continue teaching. He had succeeded in getting Father Lord to come and give two or three evening talks at the parish. Father Lord accepted, on condition that he wouldn't be asked to do more as his health was failing. We learned about this the week before Christmas. This must have been in 1952. I did indicate to Father Keefer that January fourth was one of the dates scheduled for Father Lord's talks. Upon arrival at the rectory at Our Lady of Grace, Father Lord spotted on top of the file cabinet in Monsignor's office a framed picture of Elizabeth Seton, which we had given him when he no longer taught at Seton. When Father Lord saw it, he said: ''Now there's a lady who ought to be confirmed. Why doesn't the church give her the honors of the altar? She is a saint!" Father Keefer then asked Father Lord ifhe would want to help the cause along. That's how he trapped Father Lord into coming to Elizabeth Seton on the fourth of January. It was a lovely event...well attended. The parents also came. The students had prepared a program...a panel of speakers. That would have been January of 1954. (There was a section here about the event which was not audible. I tried.) The following week an article appeared in Father Lord's column which was carried by every diocesan paper throughout the country telling about his visit to Elizabeth Seton High School. I remember so well the column. I had the pleasure last week of visiting a school in Pittsburgh named for Elizabeth Seton and as would be expected the school was run by the Sisters of Charity who claim Elizabeth Seton as their Foundress. SMCM: Sister, when were you the principal at Elizabeth Seton? SMAS: I was principal at Elizabeth Seton from 1947-1954, which was the year I left Elizabeth Seton. SMCM: Did you continue to teach Biology? SMAS: No, that lasted for just two years when we got a regular science teacher. SMCM: How many students were there at Elizabeth Seton? SMAS: The first year, there were seventy-seven girls. When I left, I know there were at least Four Hundred Twelve. I remember that the new auditorium was large enough to accommodate this number. SMCM: What happened with you after 1954? SMAS: Well again, I went back to Sacred Heart High School for one year. I had my sabbatical, I guess. I was there three times for one year. Sister Marion McKelvy was the principal. Also, I would like to say how much I loved the Liturgies at Sacred Heart. SMCM: This is a continuation of the oral history being conducted on Sr. Mary Agnes Schildkamp at Assumption Hall. The date is February 18, 1988. SMCM: Good afternoon, Sr. Mary Agnes. SMAS: Good afternoon, Sr. Marie Corona SMCM: Sister, maybe you could go back and tell us a little more about your experience at St. Luke's High School in Carnegie. SMAS: That would take us back then thirty some years. I went there in August of 1955, much to my surprise for five years. The beginning of those five years occurred after I had one year at Sacred Heart High School. Previous to my one year at Sacred Heart I had been the Principal at Elizabeth Seton High School for twelve years. Sr. Mary Henry Hanse was ill, and I succeeded her as Principal of St. Luke's. St. Luke's was an excellent high school. We had students there from different parishes. Students went on to many fields of life from St. Luke's...doctors, lawyers, teachers, members of the Community, etc. One of the kinds of incidents that will remain in my memory is that of Father James Shanahan. Immediately after his Ordination in 1956, he was assigned as an assistant priest at St. Luke's. He was asked by Father James Kernan who was the Pastor to interest himself in the high school. He did this. He had a wonderful influence on the students. This influence was somewhat missionary related. You can understand this when I tell you that Father Shanahan went to the Pittsburgh Diocesan Mission in Chimbote, Peru from St. Luke's. I remember so well the farewell celebration that we had for him at St. Luke's. The building was a one-story, four-sided structure. Our students called it "The Cardboard Jungle", but would have big fights with anyone else who would call it such a name. Within those four walls were what is called the "Court." The celebration took place here. Johnny Geinser, who is now Father John Geinser,one of the spiritual directors at Mt. St. Mary's in Maryland, officiated at the celebration. He was president of the student council and he pretended to be Father Shanahan somewhere far off in the mountains of Peru calling to request a list of items. One of the girls, Mary Endy, who studied Spanish as part of the Business Course she was taking was the telephone operator, somewhere between Peru and St. Luke's. She was trying to relay between Spanish and English, Father Shanahan's needs. The jumble between Spanish and English was hilarious! I'm sorry now that this was at a time before you could record things. I feel that Father Shanahan became a martyr as a result of his being at St. Luke's and going to Peru from there. He has been dead about ten years now. He contracted Hepatitis in Peru, which led to Cancer and to his death which took place at Our Lady Of Loreto in Brookline, only about ten years after his ordination. I believe he died before the age of fifty. I loved those years at St. Luke's. SMCM: Were you a teaching principal, Sister? SMAS: Oh yes. I believe it is safe to say that every year up until now, when I retired from teaching English at Greensburg Central, I taught at least one class. I have always made it a point to know my graduates at St. Luke's and at Elizabeth Seton High School. Therefore, I taught English to the students. Later, when I became Director of Project Forward, I still taught young men and women who were studying for their GED. The atmosphere was a little different, as it took place in the local prison. SMAS: What else do you wish me to tell you? SMCM: I would like to hear about the closing of St. Luke's High School. SMAS: I was not the last principal at St. Luke's in Carnegie when it closed. I told you at the beginning of the interview that at the time I left St. Luke's, it was one of the two times in my community life when I felt that I was mugged! My mission was changed, much to my surprise at the end of July. I'll tell you how it happened. Apparently the Council was considering a change in principal at St. Pancratius in Lakewood, California. Sister Mary Amy Connelly had been ill. How my name came up, I still can't even guess. At any rate, St. Luke's still had two years to go. Freshmen had already been sent to the new Canevan High School. Sophomores went my last year at St. Luke's. There were still Juniors and Seniors left to go. That would have been nineteen hundred sixty. In July of 1960, Sister Teresa Clare Kernan, who was on the Council and in charge of Education sent for me. Mother Claudia Glenn was in the hospital. Sister Teresa Clare said: "I think you ought to talk to Sister Theodosia Murtha about your mission." There had been a meeting of the teaching sisters in the Visual Education Room that day, and I was pretty strong in advising a plan that we were preparing for in the diocese of Pittsburgh. I believe this is what stirred Sister Theodosia ab.d Sister Teresa Clare to think of me as the new principal for St. Pancratius. Then Sister Theodosia sent for me. My mother had died, and my father was living alone. This is the way Sister Theodosia put it to me. "Sister Mary Agnes, do you think your father would mind if you were sent to St. Pancratius in Lakewood, California?" I could speak for myself but not for my father. I remember his response so well. He said: "Well, I've often wondered if those platinum blondes in Hollywood are genuine or not. So, sure! You go to California and I'll come out to check it out." It happened though that he did not come out to check the genuineness of the platinum blondes in Hollywood. I was in California just a few months when my father died unexpectedly. That was on January 4, 1961. While I'm on the subject, I was already on my way to Pittsburgh, as-I had a flight from California to Pittsburgh. It was a cold, blustery, winter day. I didn't make it before my father died. He died at eleven o'clock in the morning on January 4, 1961. At eight o'clock in the morning in California, which is eleven o'clock in Pittsburgh, Father Kelty, the Pastor, offered Mass for my father. My family were all satisfied with this, even though we were not present when he died. He was remembered in prayer at that same hour. Returning now to the closing of St. Luke's as you requested. One year at a time, the student body at St. Luke's was reduced by a Freshmen class, and one year at a time, Canevan High School was established. Of personal importance to me was the Sister, who was like the Co-Principal, in charge of the girls. That was Sister Julia Teresa Dolan. Sister Julia Teresa and I entered together. We had been at Catholic University together and also on the same missions a number of times. Sister Mary Bernard O'Brien completed the last two years as Principal at St. Luke's. She had previously been principal for a number of years. I'm not sure what years. However, I can't think of anyone who was more suited for this task than Sr. Mary Bernard. St. Luke's was dear to her. She gave the students the warmth and interest which had been given in previous years. These last two years of St. Luke's might be referred to as the "lame duck" years. SMCM: Sister, when St. Luke's High School closed, did we still have sisters living in St. Luke's Convent who taught at Canevan? SMAS: Oh yes. I don't remember.who they were, other than Sister Julia Teresa. The Mission list would give you this information. Those sisters lived at St. Luke's Convent and commuted to Canevan High School. SMCM: Sister, what did you tell me happened to the building when St. Luke's closed? SMAS: I told you that the students called it "The Cardboard Jungle." I don't really know. It could have blown down for all I know. I understand that Sister Sabina McGinley, who was principal of the grade school wanted to use some of the rooms for her eighth graders. She had made this request even in my time there. However, we were never able to come to an agreement on this. There is a rather comical story I can tell you about this if you want to take the time to hear it. The photographer who took our year book pictures at St. Luke's presented me with not just an eight and a half by ten picture of myself, but one hundred wallet size pictures of myself. At any rate, I said to Sister Sabina: "We'll let your eighth graders use some rooms at the High School, if you will accept ninety-nine pictures ofme." She turned me down. I'm also relatively sure that they didn't use any of the rooms during Sr. Mary Bernard O'Brien's stay there. SMCM: I know that you were the principal at St. Pancratius in Lakewood, California, but I also heard that St. Pancratius was like a hospitality stop, especially for our Korean Sisters around the time of the opening of our Korean Mission in nineteen hundred sixty. Could you tell us about this? SMAS: Yes, the first two contingents of sisters who went to Korea went by Freighter out of San Francisco. They had to do that, not because it was less expensive, but because they had to take everything they needed for personal belongings, household items, things needed for their school, etc. I mean this involved big pieces of equipment. The Sisters were not sure when they would depart from San Francisco. The Columban Fathers in San Francisco were co-ordinating their journey. It wasn't just the Korean Sisters who would be going on the same Freighter. There were other groups. Also, the weather had something to do with it. The Sisters came to St. Pancratius around September of 1960. They did not depart for Korea until some time in October. There was the additional problem they had of getting to San Francisco, which was five hundred miles or more from Lakewood, California. It's like another state. In my mind, San Francisco reminded me of Pittsburgh, about which I can't get too enthusiastic, except at night when it's lighted up. Mrs. McGaffin, who was secretary of the High School was very helpful to us in traveling to San Francisco, as she knew her way all around California. Obviously I was not, but I was free to accompany the sisters. We drove up to San Francisco, and spent a week there, waiting for the green light to go on the Freighter, but also Sister Mary Agnes Carey, who was in charge of the Korean Mission had saved several big items to purchase in San Francisco. When I say saved, it was so that they didn't have to be transported across the state. As it was, there were numerous crates of supplies for our mission in Korea, for either the school or the house, that had been sent across the country and put into crates to be carried in the Freighter to Korea I remember one of these items was what we call a copy machine. We spent the week that we stayed with the Franciscan Missionary Sisters in San Francisco buying those items. We stayed with these Sisters at the fifth level, which was the top level of the structure overlooking San Francisco. The Sisters were welcoming and cordial. None ofus knew San Francisco, and so each ofus daily went down into the city to do the shopping which was necessary. The pioneers were: Sr. Mary Agnes Carey, Sr. Mary Noreen Lacey, Sr. Martin d, e Porres(left the community years later) and Sr. Alice Ruane. We had good directions...names of businesses, locations, etc., but we had to do a good bit of it on our own. Each time we stopped for directions or for lunch, we were picked up by someone whose name happened to be Irish. What I thought was the payoff, but it wasn't, there was another occurrence later, was a time when we were looking for a: building named McKenna. We had come to an area which came to a point, much like our Sixth and Fifth Avenue triangle in Pittsburgh. A policeman on a motorcycle pulled over to the curb, and one of us said, one of us should ask him. I'm the one who had to step forward and ask him about this building. Well, the others could hear his response, so clear and enthusiastic was his accent. He must recently have come from Ireland. He got off his motorcycle, put his arm around my shoulder and said in his very Irish brogue: "I'll show you." He walked us up partway to the triangle and down the other side. The other Sisters followed, almost.hysterically. At any rate, I thought that would be the peak of our nationality encounter there, but it wasn't. The Sisters who were going to Korea had to stay on the Freighter "The Golden Bear" over night, the night before they were to leave. There was a dinner provided for them, to which they could invite guests. So, I and can't exactly remember who it was went to this dinner. I know it wasn't Mrs. McGaffin, the woman from St. Pancratius, who so graciously was giving her time and energy to help us with this project. Nevertheless, we arranged to meet at St. Patrick' s Church, which was located near the pier, the next morning for the seven o'clock Mass. This we did. When we got inside the church, we saw five beautiful stained glass windows. They were marked: Matthew, Mark, Patrick, Luke, and John. I said to the Sisters: "There isn't another nationality that would split up the four Evangelists." It was the real payoffi Some years later Sr. Miriam Joseph and Sr. Paulina Glenn were in San Francisco. I had told them this story. They went down to check out St. Patrick's Church. I still have the note which they sent to me verifying "Matthew, Mark, Patrick, Luke and John being on the five, life sized windows in the church." They also enclosed a copy of the Sunday bulletin, which had been printed in green. Helping the Sisters travel .from Lakewood, California to San Francisco happened twice. The first time was in nineteen hundred sixty and the second in nineteen hundred sixty-two. As in the first · time, we were in San Francisco a week prior to the sisters leaving for Korea. Sister Jeanne Malloy( at this time Sr. Jeanne's name was Sr. Emmanuel) and Sister Jeremy Mahla were the sisters in the second group which went to Korea. Sister Catherine Mary Malloy, Sister of Sister Jeanne Malloy stayed with us at St. Pancratius and was able therefore to see her Sister off to Korea from San Francisco. Sr. Catherine Mary was stationed at the time in Arizona, which probably made it more possible to do this. These two experiences...seeing the Sisters off to Korea were the closest I ever got to Korea at the time. I was one of the two hundred who had volunteered to go to Korea. SMCM: Would you like now to tell about your time at Greensburg Central? SMAS: Before I do, I think it would be worthy of note for the history of the Community to point out that St. Pancratius was a welcoming place not just for the Sisters who were going to Korea, but for anyone who would like to come and see the many interesting sites. In fact, the layout of the convent was such that provisions were made for people to stay at the convent while enjoying their stay in Lakewood. There was a suite of rooms near the front entrance. That doesn't mean it was public. Without entering the convent area, there was room for visitors to stay. That particular feature was added to the convent at St. Therese's in Phoenix, Arizona. Sister Marian Grace's parents came and stayed on occasion. Sister M. Ethelreda Merz, Sister Helen Marie Haley, and I were delighted , being drivers to go back over and over to "Disney Land" and other points of interest. As far as "Disney Land" goes, the father of one of our students at St. Pancratius was an executive there, so we used his gift to us freely and frequently. SMCM: Did you ever take the children to "Disney Land?" SMAS: No. There wouldn't be any need to do this as the children have already been there. They could tell us about "Disney Land." St. Pancratius was a young parish. It was opened in nineteen fifty-four. The Sisters who were the first to go there...Sister Macaria Nestor, Sister Mary Amy Connelly, and I'm not sure of the others , lived in a little house, which I believe has been occupied by the Keane Family, the family whose father Bill Keane writes the Family Circus, the Cartoon which is in the Sunday newspaper. They probably lived there after the sisters moved out and into the newly built convent. I went to St. Pancratius in nineteen sixty. So, we were doing things for the first time. I can remember being invited to Baptisms, which I hadn't been to for years, not even in my own family. We were doing things for the first time with Father Kelty, the Pastor. Every Sunday morning, the year round without exception, after the six thirty AM Mass, the men of the parish served coffee, do-nuts, rolls and milk for the children. Whole families went to this early Mass. From there, they could go to the beach or mountain, etc. The men, with no women around, would have Fund Raisers for the athletic programs for both boys and girls. We had good athletic programs. SMCM: Was it a large school, Sister? SMAS: When I was there, the enrollment was nine hundred. There were eleven Sisters. Sister Barbara Coyle was there and she was a great help. I remember Sisters Carita Shields and Eileen Johnson each had about sixty children in their first grades. When I became weary or overwhelmed, I used to go and sit in the back of the first grade to cheer myself up. I didn't teach regularly. I ventured teaching English Composition from eighth, seventh, sixth, fifth, fourth, and third grades. I don't think I went lower than the third grade. SMCM: Sister, would you like to tell us anything about the Beatification trip to Rome? It was in 1963 that the Sisters were elected to go to the Beatification of Elizabeth Seton. We traveled in pairs. My partner was Sister Vincent de Paul Kramer. We were in Rome for eight days. There was a side trip offered which would have taken us to some of the other countries. Sister Vincent de Paul and I chose to stay in Rome, one of the reasons being that there was a triduum of Masses which were traditionally offered following the beatification of a saint. These Masses were celebrated at different churches in the area. I remember one was celebrated at St. Paul's outside the walls. The speakers were all excellent. One in particular I remember was Monsignor John Middleton. He was the pastor at St. Peter's church on Barclay Street in New York. Monsignor Middleton and the priest homilist at the second one of these Masses were excellent. The third one (couldn't hear him) was alright, but couldn't measure up to the first two. It was March when we were there. One of the evenings, Cardinal Spellman had invited all ofus to a celebration. It was teeming rain and very dark outside. The buses were lined up in the street to take us back to our hotel. The name of our hotel was the "Ritz." Well as miserable as things were, a funny thing did happen. A Sister who was a Daughter of Charity rapped on the bus door. It was during the time when the sisters wore the big, white wings. Hers of course at this point were quite droopy. The bus driver opened the door and announced that it was the bus going to our hotel...the Ritz. When he said this, she responded: "And I'm Queen Victoria!" The Beatification ceremony itself was unforgettable. I do have about seven minutes of moving pictures taken during our eight days in Rome. The film was given to me by one of the parents at St. Pancratius. When I returned he ( the parent) spliced and edited the film. This material will be handed into the Archives at Caritas Christi, when I'm ready to give it up. I had taken a picture of Pope John XXIII, before finding the sign advising that no cameras were allowed at this particular area. This was in 1963. When I came back, I was elected to the Council. My position·at St. Pancratius had been terminated. SMCM: You were on the council for how long, Sister? SMAS: Six years. I was on the Council from 1963-1969 with Mother Victoria Brown. Sister Theodosia Murtha was Assistant. I was Secretary. Sr. Theodosia resigned sometime during those six years, and Sister Richard Ann Watson was elected by the Council to take her place. Sister Anne Michaele Reilly was the Community Treasurer. Sister Alberta Sweeney, my dear friend was also on the Council. Sr. Alberta was my first grade teacher. SMCM: Were there any significant changes in the Community during your term on the Council? SMAS: Oh my goodness, yes. They were Post Vatican Council years. This part of the tape is very inaudible! I have tried many times to distinguish what Sister Mary Agnes is saying, but cannot. She does say that there were prominent people such as : Bishop Wright, Bishop Connare, and Archabbot Weakland who addressed the Community as to what Vatican Council II meant to the Sisters of Charity. Again, Sister refers to the special contribution for the Proper of the Mass for Elizabeth Ann Seton, which was composed by Archabbot Weakland. This took place in 1966. At that time, it was the beginning of small group discussions. We had many small groups set up in Sullivan Hall, in Maura Hall, etc. SMCM: Was there anything else you would like to say about your six years on the Council? SMAS: Well, there was one new mission. I believe Sister said that it was Holy Trinity up in North Huntington. I remember so well the Pastor (couldn't get his name) coming and asking for sisters, not to teach in the school, but to do CCD work. It wasn't done in the usual CCD manner that we were accustomed. It involved home visiting, adult education, and regular CCD classes. We weren't sure what sisters we had who were trained for this kind of work. During those six years, I participated in teaching CCD on Saturdays and Sundays at Sutersville. We talked a number of times about who would be prepared for this ministry. Sister Helen Cecilia Dwyer's name came up as sister had done quite a bit regarding CCD teaching. Sr. Helen Cecilia was a concert pianist. I heard her play the piano very artistically. However, due to having arthritis severely, she was no longer able to do this. At this time, she was teaching History at Holy Innocents High School in Pittsburgh. When I suggested Sr. Helen Cecilia's name to Mother Victoria, she expressed doubt as to whether Sister would want to consider this position, but gave. me permission to talk to Sister. Sister Helen Cecilia so graciously said:" I'd be happy to go wherever I'm sent on mission." I could hardly wait to get back to Seton Hill to report Sister's response. Here, Sister says there were other sisters, but she can't recall their names. (I believe that two of these people may have been...Sister M. Francina Skergan, and Sister M. Eugene O'Donnell.) The program went well. The people in the parish were delighted with the sisters' presence, teaching, and home visiting. Juniata College was there on campus. It is a sectarian college. I went up to Huntingdon for at least two summers for a week's vacation. At the time, the county fair was going on. It was most enjoyable and included all religions. I can't tell you how much they enjoyed and appreciated the sisters. SMCM: Were those sisters in residence in Altoona? SMAS: No, Father had a residence for them there. I also recall that Sister M. Jane Joyce was there as one the pioneers. SMCM: How many years was that mission opened? SMAS: I'm not really sure, but would take a guess at about ten. The priest who was the pastor was transferred to Johnstown but returned as pastor. He has very warm memories of the Sisters of Charity. There were occasions when he came to Greensburg, such as on festival days and always made it a point to visit at Assumption Hall where Sister Helen Cecilia and Sister Jane were living. SMCM: What happened after your years on the Council? SMAS: Project Forward was open. Sister Clare Handerhand ( no longer in the Community) started Project Forward in 1967. In 1968, she was responsible for being the director of Project and in charge of the Admissions Office at Seton Hill. She had interrupted her studies for her PHD in order to take care of these two positions. She received permission in 1969 to return to Catholic University in Washington, DC to complete her doctorate. I was asked to take over Project Forward, which lasted for about eleven years. SMCM: Sister, what exactly was involved in doing this job? SMAS: It's pretty hard to say exactly what I did. I have the history of Project Forward in the file drawer here. Project Forward was funded in the same act of Congress, which in 1965 gave birth for grants and loans for students who needed financial help to further their education beyond high school. The program called "Talent Search" was inserted in that act of Congress as the channel to locate students who would otherwise be missed in other channels. They might be missed because of low income, population, etc. Whatever the reason, we were commissioned to find them. We traveled around doing so. We went to high schools where some of the aforementioned problems existed. Very often we visited homes. People were intimidated by the word "loan." The last thing they needed was another debt. It got us involved in community action. We had six branches. Out of Brownsville, PA, we served three counties, and out of Greensburg, we served three counties. I was involved about twice a year in meetings with personnel from other areas and always came back inspired by the zeal and sacrifices of other project directors. I was the only Sister involved in the program. SMCM: And these were Seton Hill students? SMAS: Oh no, that's one of the altruistic aspects of Project Forward. To the credit of Seton Hill College and the Sisters of Charity, the property which had been St. Philomena's Shrine was , donated for the project forward program. Right now, I'm not sure of the legal status of the office. Who exactly owns this, as I said, I'm not sure. I believe it was incorporated into the nineteen ninety-nine lease which the board of the Sisters of Charity lease to the board of Seton Hill College. I know that the roof on the. property is badly in need of repair, so we may be able to determine the ownership by whoever pays that bill.· Funding is always a tight situation. It was particularly tight when I took over as Director. The program was begun in 1967, and there has really been very little turnover in Administration. I believe Sister Mary Agnes said that between sixteen and eighteen hundred students had been serviced each year. Right now, our funding is affected globally because of lay offs, etc. It was in the Spring of 1980 that I was changed and Sister Mary Philip Aaron took over as Director of Project Forward. SMCM: Was it possible for any teacher in the College to get help for someone? SMAS: Oh, yes. They are given the information needed to apply for help if they are eligible. SMCM: Sister, did you record all the work at Project Forward? SMAS: Yes, I kept a record each year. SMAS: Sister Marie Corona, I have several significant reasons for mentioning the "Eucharistic Congress" in 1976. It was the Bicentennial Year as you know, and therefore the city of Philadelphia was full of patriotic as well as religious climate would be the word to use. For those reasons, there must have been seven, eight, or possibly nine who went as a group from Seton Hill, and we stayed at the homes of two of the Dolan family. That is Sister Julia Teresa Dolan's family. One of her brothers settled there some years ago, and about four ofus stayed with Al and Betty Dolan. The others stayed in the home of their daughter, Mary. Mary and her husband and five children had gone to the shore that week. They permitted us to use their home. These homes were close to the railroad station, which made it convenient for us to go to downtown, Philadelphia. Another reason for remembering this is because of a group of Sisters which I spoke about previously and had interviewed in Lakewood, California. There were forty-eight of them in the community at that time. The entire group came by bus all the way across the country for the Eucharistic Congress. The bus was a gift, as was the driver. When they stopped for fuel, they used a credit card, which was also a gift, which gives you some idea of the esteem in which they were held by the Archdiocese of LosAngeles. This group of Sisters were Hungarian. The translation of the name of their Community is: "Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart." They were founded in the nineteen forties in Budapest. They were University women who devoted themselves, their time, energy etc., to religious education. There are many schools in Europe like our own. Not only did they teach, they prepared the materials which they used...albums, books, pictures, etcetera. They printed them professionally. They did this in Budapest. However, not too long after they were organized, Hungary was taken over by the Soviet Union. They had to go underground. Before doing this, they agreed to scatter before they met possibly in a year's time in Holland. There was no set date, but the group waited until all thirteen (I believe that was the number they started out as) met. They spent that year trying to help ministers, clergy, catholic and non-catholics to escape. The primary price was on the Sisters' heads. They were the main target. Eventually, the group did arrive in Holland and there they did many kinds ofwork...store clerks, cleaning, etc. to earn enough money to take them further. They managed to get to England, where again they did odd jobs to earn money. When they earned enough money, they managed to get themselves over to Canada. In Canada, which was more catholic than any of the places they had been, they set up a printing press. They printed church bulletins, church programs and any other odd printing jobs they could. In the meantime, they had their "ears open" for a diocese in the United States that would be willing to adopt them. This didn't take long. Cardinal McIntyre in Los Angeles welcomed them to the archdiocese and gave them a house to live in. Now, there must be fifty or sixty of them, are in charge of Religious Education in the archdiocese. They still produce tapes and albums, work with films, are on television, etc. During the summer months when they are not involved in teaching, they conduct retreats for boys and their families. There is a wonderful resort in "Bear Rocks" with several cottages. It's in Benadali California....wonderful place to escape the heat. I was privileged in 1987, when I was on my way to Japan and Korea to stay there with the sisters. It luckily was a break between two family retreats. Twenty-five of the sisters were getting ready to take care of ninety-five people who were coming to make retreat. Everything is beautifully organized. In the forty some years since they were founded, they have not lost one. sister by death. SMCM: What was your original connection with these sisters? SMAS: When I first went to St. Pancratius in Lakewood, California, it just happened that these sisters taught the teachers of religious education, which we know as CCD. They had instruction centers in various parts of the archdiocese. St. Pancratius was the center for the whole Long Beach area. Now, I'm going back to the Eucharistic Congress. These Sisters, the entire community, who had come via bus across the country had not written ahead for hospitality. They asked if there was a motherhouse in Philadelphia where they could stay. They brought their sleeping bags with them, not expecting this. What they particularly wanted to do was take one of the Eucharistic Congress days to go to Emmitsburg, and also possibly see some of Washington, D.C. I had written to Sr. Mary Donald Cusick in Bethesda and asked if the sisters could sleep in the classrooms over night. They had brought their sleeping bags. Well, you know Sr. Mary Donald's capacity for hospitality. She had organized the mothers to provide dinner. When we arrived in the evening, after attending a day at the Eucharistic Congress, there was a supper buffet. To show their appreciation and thanks for the sisters, the young sisters just sang songs to the sisters in Bethesda. We sat out on the Patio there enjoying each other's company. After that, the sisters took turns coming to the convent to shower before returning to the school that night to sleep. The next morning we were there for breakfast, and of course the sisters had good appetites. Sister Mary Donald had provided a tasty spread for us. Then we spent an enjoyable day in Emmitsburg, returning to Bethesda for the night. The next day we toured Washington, planning to stay for an hour or two, then going on to Philadelphia to continue participation in the Eucharistic Congress. Sister Mary Donald and Sister Mary Denise Dietrich had mapped out possible places for us to see in such a short time. SMCM: Sister, do you want to tell us anything in particular about your time at Greensburg Central? SMAS: I don't think there's anything very exciting to tell you about that. I know that I had come to the end of eleven years at "Project Forward." In 1979, we at Project Forward had to get to work on a new three year proposal. We used to have to write a new one every year, but I think this was the second time we were going to write up a proposal lasting three years, if the money held out that long. I had in my mind at that time that if the Community had any other thing for me to do, this would be a time for me to indicate my willingness to do it. This was in the Fall of 1979, and I didn't hear anything. Then in the Spring of 1980, Sister Baptista Madden contacted me to say that there was another sister interested in the work at Project Forward. That was Sister Mary Philip Aaron , who I believe was at Seton La Salle High School at the time. She has a real gift for the type of work done at Project Forward and now in the Financial Aid Office at Seton Hill. I agreed of course that Sister Mary Philip should take over. In the meantime, I was interviewed by Sister Patrice Hughes informally some place in Jeannette. She hired me to teach English at Greensburg Central. I found myself missioned to Greensburg Faculty as a full time English teacher. That was five periods a day for five years. After that, I reduced it to four, and then my last year there, I decided that three was enough. That would have been 1986-1987. ( I couldn't understand what Sister was saying for a few lines after the above.)- SMCM: Sister, besides your teaching, you were actively involved in prison ministry. Would you like to tell us about it? SMAS: Chronologically, I did this before teaching at Greensburg Central. I don't recall exactly how it got started. I do know, I guess, and this would have been 1970, there was the prison quite near and quite large, down on Route 119 as you go toward Youngwood, but closer to Greensburg. I was alone at first. At that time, there was one section which was intended to be for Juveniles. In this particular section at that time, there were four women confined there temporarily until their sentencing came through, whatever that process is. I had known the matron there for some time. She and her husband were parishioners at Our Lady of Grace. I can't remember their names at this time, but it may come to me. Our paths had crossed at some point. She called Project Forward and asked if there could be anything done for these women during this time of waiting. They're going to be here three or four months. Perhaps they could get a little bit of educational instruction, so that this time wouldn't be lost. SMCM: So you were at Project Forward at this time. SMAS: Oh yes, I went to Project Forward in 1969 and was there until 1980. So, I went down to the prison to interview the four women. They were all in one room. The Matron was there. I explained to the four women the advantages of having a high school certificate. I soon discovered how naive I was. The first woman kept saying: "I can't do that. I have too much on my mind." I learned later that she was there for committing a murder. The second woman said: "This isn't what I need. I need to brush up on shorthand and typing." I was beginning to awaken to needs other than the ones I was pedaling. The third one really surprised me. What I want are voice lessons. Right away Mrs. Sclerbee ( what it sounds like) spoke up and said: "That's right, Sister. Ifwe didn't have Audrey for the campus service in the morning and the interdenominational service in the afternoon there wouldn't be anything. She has a beautiful voice." The fourth woman just sat there and said nothing as she was just going to be there two or three weeks. When I said I would see what I could do about the woman needing shorthand and typing, and the one who wanted voice lessons, the woman who said that she had too much on her mind spoke up and said: "If you really want to know what I want, it's piano lessons." I said: "I'll see what I can do about that." For the piano, I have a niece who had Polio from birth. She used a cane and had braces, but she could drive. She was a senior at Greensburg Central. She too had piano lessons from Sister Mary Eleanor Frederick. I think I went to a piano recital for ten years. Sr. Mary Eleanor had her recitals at Seton Hill. So I thought Shannon (what it sounds like), would be happy to teach the piano lessons. As it turned out, her parents told me it was a great thing for Shannon because it being her senior year, thoughts were on prom, car, cabaret, party, etc. Some of this she could be part of, but popular as she was, she couldn' t be part of all of it. The typing and shorthand was taken care ofby Sister Margaret Louise Callahan. The girl didn' t have any shorthand, so it turned out to be typing only. Sister Helen Muha arranged for the voice lessons to be taught. One of her senior students who had just such a desire taught the voice lessons. We had three noisy courses being taught in the same room, which happened to be the chapel. So, we had a piano, a typewriter, and voice lessons going on at the same time. After so many lessons, the girl who taught voice took the group elsewhere and had them all singing. What this did to me, and I've thought of it many times, it showed me that these people who we think are down, deprived, disadvantaged, all of those words. That is not so. The Fine Arts are in everybody's life, whether you study cultures from Adam and Eve on down to the present, or whether you study the Fine Arts yourself, or you find someone who excels, all ofus can do or can enjoy. do enjoy. The Fine Arts are not a luxury. They' re part of our human system. You don' t just get gifts of bread and butter. You get dessert too! At any rate, one of the times I was down there because of these women, I was at the "control", which is what you have to go through to get in, when Father Gurl, a T.O.R. from Loretto came. He was stationed, I believe at St. Agnes in Pittsburgh. He was a large, booming man. When he saw me, he said: "Sister, what in the world can you do about getting some singing into our Sunday morning liturgies? Can you get some sisters to come down here?" That's how it started. I think that was in 1970 or 1971. SMCM: Then, was that your first contact with men in the prison ministry? SMAS: No, that was my first contact with the Sunday morning liturgies. SMCM: This is a continuation of the oral history of Sister Mary Agnes Schildkamp for the Archives at Caritas Christi. The interview is being conducted by Sr. Marie Corona Miller at Assumption Hall. The date is February 18, 1988. SMAS: To return to prison. I'm not sure which of these events happened first when I met Father Earl down at the prison asking if I could get someone down to the prison to sing at the Sunday morning liturgies, or when I had the interview with the four women, or when I started to teach the GED program. It all happened around the same time. We taught GED at the prison for I believe ten years. That would have been from 1970-1980. We taught in real Sister of Charity style. We had a departmental program in operation. We had five subjects. I remember that Sister Mary Zachary Endress and Sister Sister Edith Strong taught the Math, Sister Mary Leon, I, Sr. Mary Agnes taught English and sometimes Social Studies, Sister Patrice Hughes taught there. I'm having a hard time remembering everyone and what they taught. Nevertheless, we did this two or three evenings a week. We had two groups of five sisters doing this on these evenings. In 1980, it happened probably providentially that because of the union, volunteers were not permitted to teach at the prison.. There was a paid GED teacher for the daytime, but volunteers were not permitted to be in the capacity of teaching. This eased the situation for me, as it was in 1980 that I was sent to Greensburg Central, and I didn' t feel able to handle both positions. This also worked out well for Sister Edith Strong who was asked to teach some evening classes at Seton Hill College. We were still welcome and still are as volunteer teachers, but we didn't belong. We did in fact continue to attend the Sunday morning liturgies and occasionally an evening service. Sister Mary Helen Meyer and her mother and I used to go to the Liturgy on Sunday mornings until more sisters came to Greensburg Central meaning that more drivers were needed. Sister Edie Strong still goes there for Liturgy on Sundays and on Thursday evenings when they have some sort of service (I couldn't make out what kind). Meantime, that prison has tripled in size and went from being a minimum to a whatever is in the middle is called. It is not a maximum facility. In 1972, Father Vincent Rocco, now deceased, was the Chairman for Justice and Peace. At that time, it was called human rights. Sister Dorothy Marie Quigley was a board member on this committee, as was I. Father Rocco is the one who dreamed up and carried out a program known as "Operation Outward Reach." It was a program for men who were in the last six months of their sentence who showed potential for the building trade specifically carpentry and masonry. They started out in company houses in mining communities, like Father talks about just coming from. The first ones I recall hearing about was "Smock" ( difficult to hear). Very few persons around here were familiar with this name. However, people bought all these houses for a song as they had been shorn up nicely, and the companies had gone bankrupt. This project is still being carried out. Recently, I went to a dedication of a senior citizen complex in New Kensington which had been rebuilt from the basement up in masonry and carpentry. These men do not do the electrical or plumbing. They do prepare the lines which will be used for these utilities. Every six months they give twenty men this opportunity for a six month period just before his sentence is up. They've had very few drop outs on the program. Their potential is studied of course before the men are selected for the program. They have the same program now up in the state prison in Huntingdon and as of the Fall of 1987, the state prison in Mercer. The same Board is responsible for all three. It's incorporated. Father Bundt (sounds like) is on that Board. He is the treasurer. lam also on the Board. SMCM: Isn't it unusual that a priest was able to go into the prison, and start a program like this? SMAS: Yes. He was an unusual priest. I'm sure he was also in charge of a parish. SMCM: Sister, about the GED program. Was there anything done with this program at the prison? SMAS: Yes. Many of the men came ABE, which is adult basic education from third, fourth, and fifth grade reading levels. In the first months of their incarceration, they could work themselves up to the GED level. We of course prepared them for.the test. If they passed, they received a certificate from Harrisburg equivalent to a high school diploma. That's what GED means. These certificates were something which they could stand up tall about. SMCM: What were the ages of these prisoners? SMAS: I would say that most of them were between the ages of eighteen and thirty. They were well behaved. We had a classroom on the second floor...no policeman protecting us or looking in on us. Most of the men were studious. The ones who weren't too interested in the course work were interested in receiving that piece of paper. The passing score was two hundred twenty five points. I won't explain all of that. We had points as high as three hundred thirty-five. SMCM: How long did these courses have to be taught? SMAS: Well, it seems to me that we taught them the year round. In the summertime, we taught during the daytime. They took the test when they were ready. The test was given rather frequently in the institution itself. Other persons on the outside, we had GED programs through Project Forward. Those people would take their test down at Community College. I couldn't hear what Sister said about meeting at the "Coffee House" next to Bethel. Church as the first meeting place. Sister Helen Marie Haley and I taught these classes. SMCM: Sister, do you want to speak about your time on the Justice and Peace Committee? SMAS: There again, you don't keep a record of when you were called. SMCM: Who called you to be on this committee? SMAS: I'm not sure whether it was Bishop Wiliiam G. Connare or Monsignor Norbert Gaughan, who was not yet bishop. SMCM: How long did you hold this position? Also, where were you when you received this appointment? SMAS: I was on this Committee for about five years. I was stationed at Greensburg Central at the time. I don't want to be disrespectful, but I can tell you a funny little story connected with this. A few months ago, before the end of 1987, I was talking to one of the priests at the Chancery Office. These appointments are for the calendar year. When I told this priest that I didn't have this· commission in writing, He said: "Sister, don't you know that these assignments go on forever?" I knew that. It involved going to Harrisburg, PA three times a year. My second appointment was going to run out by 1987. That part of the assignment I have in writing from Bishop Connare. It's a two year assignment. We knew by this time that Bishop Anthony Bosco was coming to replace Bishop Connare. (This part of the tape is confusing, and also somewhat contradictory.) At any rate, it lasted for about five years. Meantime, Father Rocco died, as I say without permission. Another priest was assigned in his place. That priest after a few months accepted a teaching· position outside of the diocese. For about a year and a half nothing was done about it. Then I received a call asking if I would Chair the Committee. There were thirteen members on the Commission. We tried to have representation from the four counties which make up the diocese. We meet at least three times a year because there are two ofus Father Joel from St. Vincent's and I. We have our meetings with the other members as soon as possible after these meetings so that whatever transpired there can be channeled into our commission. What the commission does depends on what the emergency needs are at the diocesan level. Last year, and again this year, we're concentrating on adapting and studying the unsafe (sounds like), something about the Bishops on the economy. That sounds like it would be scholarly and dry and applied to a very small group of persons. That isn't so. The other night, we had what we call a brainstorming session at Greensburg Central. We meet at Central now because it is for convenient for people in the area. Bishop Bosco and four of the priests from the six deaneries attended this meeting. Monsignor Schuda sent a wonderful letter giving some points which he wanted to make, but couldn' t come to the meeting. We just thrashed out some needs of the area which we could do something about, whether we did it or we got others to do it, or we asked the Bishop to do it. It was partly the second step for us. We as a Commission did a good bit of studying and thrashing about among ourselves the message that was in the Bishops Pastoral Letter. Several ofus had small group meetings. I had four or five of them. Father Sedlack had a series of meetings at the Cathedral. Up in Lower Burrell, at St. Margaret Mary' s, one of the layman on the commission had meetings. The next step was to look into local needs. Every need that came out in our discussions, as you would expect, was related to the Pastoral poverty, unemployment, farming, whatever it happens to be. The purpose of our initial meeting was twofold. We wanted to discern the needs, and Bishop Bosco wanted to know what we do. He was new to the Diocese. SMCM: Sister, how were the other twelve members of the Commission chosen? SMAS: They were recommended . Then, it was the Bishop who sent them word as to whether or not they were chosen. Every diocese in the United States has a "Justice and Peace" Commission. SMCM: So, you were responsible for having an increased number of people on this? SMAS: It was my suggestion because of people coming from different geographic distances. SMCM: This interview is being conducted as part of the Oral History Program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister Mary Agnes Schildkamp. The interview is being conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller at Greensburg Faculty House. The date is October 28, 1989. Sister, I'm glad we're able to get together again. This is our fifth tape. Our focus today will be on our beloved Foundress, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. You are known by our own sisters and many others to have a great dedication and devotion to Mother Seton. We would like for you to share with us your precious memories of how this great Saint has continued to be an inspiration to you as a Sister of Charity. SMAS: Sister, this is going to be a story hour. Anything I know about Elizabeth Seton that happens to be in print, I'm going to omit. My first visit to Emittsburg, which was what sparked my devotion to Elizabeth Seton took place in the summer of 1938. I was teaching in Altoona at that time. Our principal was Sister Hildegarde Eichenlaub. Bishop Guilfoyle wanted to have a sodality for both boys and girls from the eighth grade in Cathedral School. He had asked us to attend a class in Washington, DC, which was given by Father Lord, the priest in charge of catholic action. (I'm going to omit some ofthis as it hasalready been said on previous tapes.) Sister Hildegarde was a graduate of the Academy at Seton Hill. One of her classmates, whom I believe is deceased, was a Daughter of Charity. Sister Hildegarde arranged to go to Emmitsburg from Washingon, DC to visit this friend. I, being a very young sister happily tagged along. I remember we stayed at least one overnight. I know that I was already in bed in one of the dormitories, when a dear little sister pulled my curtain aside, and, trying not to break night silence whispered to me: "Sister, when the bell rings at four thirty tomorrow morning, you don't have to get up. You can sleep until five thirty." I spent my time down there, simply roaming around. Sr. Hildegarde and her friend visited, leaving me lots of time to do this. That's my only recollection of that first visit. I'm going to move ahead until about twenty years later. In the meantime, I had been there on various occasions. In 1959, I was at Saint Luke's in Carnegie. One of the seniors, Diane Gates was dying from leukemia. In those days, leukemia was a shocking word. Apparently, there was nothing around to help this disease at that time. Diane did not graduate, but there was a highpoint in her life which I would like to emphasize, and would never forget. In the senior class play, which was written by Sister Cecilia Ward, Diane beautifully played the role of Elizabeth Ann Seton. We had everyone praying to Elizabeth Seton for Diane, including Diane herself It was a beautiful production. Diane didn't live very long. She enrolled in Duquesne University, but died in the middle of her first year. I still hear from Diane' s family. During the nineteen fifties, I don' t remember how the appointment happened, but there was a vocation committee comprised of sisters involved in part time vocation work: Sisters along the eastern coast of the United States were part of this, not just the Sisters of Charity, but also the Blessed Sacrament Sisters, and the Sisters of Mercy from Dobb's Ferry in New York. This was the community that Catherine Seton, Mother Seton's daughter belonged to. She entered at the age offourty-four. She had been living with her brother and acting pretty much like a hostess in his social affairs after his wife died. At any rate, she joined the Sisters of Mercy in New York. She was attracted to the community by their work in the prison...Sing Sing. I was able to procure, as a gift from the Archives of the Dobb's Ferry Sisters of Mercy charming stories about her work in the prison. She received a chest one time , after she was about eighty and retired, which was thought to be something to be given to the poor. However, when it was opened, it contained bars, (couldn' t determine) all the tools needed to commit burglary. There was a note on top telling sister that at last he had gone straight and wanted her to have these items to remember him by. There is another story about Sister Catherine Seton's death. She died at the age of ninety-one. Her nephew, Bishop Robert Seton, and her niece who also later entered this community came to see her. She said to them: "Darlings, you will never guess who came to see me last night." She went on to tell them that someone had come and stood at the foot of her bed. At frrst, she thought it was one of the sisters from her community. When I saw the profile and that she was wearing a cap on her head, I knew that it was my mother. I said to myself: "Of course, why wouldn't my mother come to see me when I'm sick? She did that when I was a child. She died that evening. I also have a book, for future reference, given to me by the Archivist, entitled "His Mercy Endures Forever" similar to the one written by Sister Electa Boyle, which contains information about the many things Sister Catherine Seton did. She was their frrst candidate and a member of the community for forty-five years. In 1963, when I was at St. Pancratius in California, it was my blessed privilege to go to Rome for the Beatification of Elizabeth Ann Seton. This was all arranged at Seton Hill. My companion was Sister Vincent de Paul Baker. Her good friend Sister Agnes Marie Reuben was in the group. Her companion was Sister Jean Wilburn, whom I had taught in grade school. {The next part of this tape recalling the event which all were invited by Cardinal Spellman has already been recorded on another tape.) On January 4 1968, Mother Richard Ann Watson and I were again pleased to go to Emmitsburg to attend the transfer of Mother Seton's relic. It was the happiest funeral occasion that anyone would possibly experience. After her body had been exhumed before the Canonization, her relics were place in a bronze coffin, it was just a child's coffin, and for a while was placed above the altar in the college chapel. When the big building, which we know now as the Provincial House was completed, the coffin was transferred over to the huge shrine on January 4, 1968. It was snowy and icy, but was a pleasant day. The coffin was actually carried by four ofthe seminarians from Mt. St. Mary's. It was an impressive event. The Archbishop of Baltimore was present. The seminarians seemed to be thrilled to have the privilege of carrying Mother Seton's coffin. A couple of years later, through some vocation awareness arrangement, I was staying with a Daughter of Charity from Emmitsburg, who was Director of Vocations. I was part time Vocation Director. We visited a few of the schools there to discuss religious life and religious community, with the eighth grade girls, especially Mother Seton' s Community. I honestly don' t know the name of the school. There were three rooms of.every grade. Because of what the experience was that sister and I had, neither one ofus remember information about the school. We had pictures and films to show. I believe we had ready a very nice presentation. When we arrived at the school, the principal showed us the auditorium. It was quite large. I did say to the principal: "I know your teachers like to have a little time off once in a while, so it won't be necessary for them to attend the presentation with the students." Sister and I went to the auditorium and set up our p phernalia ·. Believe it! Believe it! The children, both boys and girls came in in silent lines, beginning with the first grade. Little first graders sat up in the front seats. There was a teacher with every contingent. They filled the auditorium. We were prepared for eighth grade girls only. We just muttered something to each other and quickly changed things. We showed some slides and pictures. The. children returned just as quietly to their classrooms. We knew it was a fizzle! We didn't even talk to each other as we gathered up our paraphernalia. We did stop in the office as a matter of courtesy. While w·e were there, there was a noise just outside the office door and in, I have to say, anteloped a tall young priest into the office. He said: "I hear there are some Mother Seton Sisters here. Believe me, when I hear there are any Mother Seton Sisters for the rest of my life, I want.to meet them, because I want them to know who I am." He was one of the four seminarians who had carried Mother Seton's coffin to her last resting place. Sister and I went away jubilant, forgetting all about the disappointment of our presentation. What he did, was something worth treasuring. The next thing happened toward the middle of : Decemberin 1974. Monsignor Martin O'Toole had died. He was the pastor of St. Leonard's in Monessen, PA.· He was very much loved. His · brother Anthony O'Toole had been our wonderful .c ustodian at Elizabeth Seton High School for years. At that time, we were anticipating the announcement from Pope Paul VI regarding the date for Elizabeth Ann Seton in 1975. We were breathless about it. I was at Seton Hill at the time. Sister Helen Muha and the Music Department were getting ready for the Christmas concert. They planned on dedicating it to Elizabeth Seton . They also planned on having an announcement at Intermission about the date. There were also other celebrations. I was beginning to be concerned that we were making too much ofit. I don' t know why I was chosen to take care of this. We were told that we weren't to announce this, and that there was to be no news release until the Holy Father said it to those gathered in St. Peter's at his noon address. Noon means six o'clock in the morning for us. Bishop Connare had already told us that he would alert us. There had been an alert set up on December fourteenth for this purpose. I called Monsignor Thomas Klinzing, Chancellor of the diocese and asked him what would be the appropriate way to celebrate the announcement about Elizabeth Seton. I planned this question very carefully, but regretted it later. However, a few days later, we were gathered at St. Leonard's in Monessen for the funeral of Monsignor Martin O'Toole. After the funeral, we were gathered in clusters in the parking lot. Beside me was a group of priests, one of which was Monsignor Klinzing. I heard him say: "Sister Mary called (meaning me) and asked what the appropriate way would be to celebrate the announcement of Elizabeth Seton's Canonization?" And, I said to her: "Have a beer bust!" She then said: "May I please speak to Bishop Connare?" It just did not happen that way! When I returned to Seton Hill, I met Sister Mary Schmidt and said: "Oh, Sister Mary, you have quite a reputation." This was very confusing! Possibly Monsignor Klinzing thought he was speaking to Sister Mary Schmidt. In 1975, 1976, and 1977, I was still in charge of Project Forward. One of the men who was in charge of Talent Search, the federal name for Project Forward, from way down in the mountains of Virginia, Jim P (couldn't make out the rest), and I became friendly. I was very much interested in his hobby. He had quite a business, collecting and selling old books. The name of his store was: "Bookworm and Silver Fish, Incorporated." He was curious about Elizabeth Seton. He would save Metropolitan, as well as diocesan papers containing stories about her life and canonization. I could always be certain that any time we met, we would get into discussions about Elizabeth Seton. He called himself a black protestant. He Was not black, but wanted me to know they he wasn' t catholic. He questioned about relics. He said: "Don' t you run out ofr esources?" He was serious and reverent about this. At any rate, he was impressed by what he read in the papers. Every once in a while I would receive an old book from him. I have Volume I and Volume II of what is called "The Story of the Mount." It was based on the Annals. It's a very gossipy kind of story and is the history of Mt. St. Mary's. He saw the Seton name on these books. Another time, he gave me a book about "The Hundredth Anniversary Book of St. Peter's Cathedral", a church then. It came out in 1934 commemorating the founding of that parish and the first school. He sent the book because in the middle of it is a full page picture of Elizabeth Seton. He knew she would have had something to do with it. Sure enough, "The Daughters of Charity" had the school. Sister Margaret George, whom we all know about, was the first principal. It's really a precious book, almost falling apart. The most impressive of the books that he sent there's reference January 6, 1804 or 1805, when Elizabeth Seton was almost despairing. She was low with the decisions she had to make about becoming a catholic. She said that she took from the shelf a copy of "Bordeleau's Sermons". He was a French priest. She turned to the one for that feast...the Epiphany. There is a phrase in it that goes something like: "Oh you who have lost the star of Faith." Then it goes on to guide and console someone who would feel as she did at that time. Jim, my friend would not have known about Bordoleau and certainly not the Epiphany. This was at the time when my niece and her husband in Baltimore were killed in a plane crash. It was 1979. It was terrible. We went down there. There were no remains. It was a wooded area cordoned off. It was in February. The weather was terrible...very cold. There was no funeral. No one knew what to say. They were the hardest three days I have ever spent. When we came back, we were still very low. Do you know that in my mail when I got home was a copy of "Bordeleau?" That was providential, not just circumstantial. In October of 1975, we were invited to St. Joseph's Parish in Dover, OH. Sister Maria Theda Hisrich is from that parish. People from there know about Seton Hill. Other than that, I'm not sure why we were invited. It had to do of course with the canonization of Mother Seton. It was just a month after.· The pastor was one of the Capuchins from Pittsburgh. We talked at the Masses, to parents, visited the school, etc. What matters is not these things, but the day we arrived and visited the church, our attention was just riveted on what would have been the Blessed Mother's Altar off to the side. ·There was a life size window image of Elizabeth Ann Seton so to speak, which was lighted. Down on the left, it read: "A saint is someone, and on the right that the light shines through." Father told us that as he made his rounds through the school before we arrived, he would ask in the different rooms...What is a saint? It was one of the children in first or second grade who said: "A saint is someone who the light shines through." The windows in the church were Franciscan saints. I'm sure the children were taught about these saints and probably toured the church. Therefore, it was natural for them to think that a saint is someone who the light shines through. It's certainly a perfect image. I've used it a number of times ever since. I have in my hand a letter, dated September 15, 1975, which was addressed to Sr. M. Cornelia O' Friel; from the Saint Dismas Holy Name Society of Western Penn...the prison in Pittsburgh. The chaplain at that time was Father Earl Jennings, a T.O.R. from Loreto, Pennsylvania. Sister Cprnelia, I believe was the Administrator at Assumption Hall at the time. She's an Altoona person. She proceeded to read the letter, which I feel sure we have the copy of, and therefore am not recording it here. The weekend of Valentine's Day in 1976, chosen because it was the College Spring Break, eleven of us traveled in two cars on what we called "The Tin Cup" pilgrimage to New York. I called it this because we were traveling as inexpensively as possible. We stayed at my brother's home, which is in the upper part of New Jersey. I had arranged for him to be the leader. He and his wife, and I led the other two cars. We covered a lot of territory in those two days: Staten Island, St. Andrew's was there, several churches in Manhattan, and even got up to New Rochelle. I mentioned Staten Island where St. Andrew's church is, and it is the original church. Elizabeth Seton's grandfather was the pastor of St. Andrew's. We had not arranged previously with anyone at any of these places to be a tour guide. However, when we arrived at St. Andrew's, there was a funeral service going on in the cemetery. It so happened that the funeral was for a parishioner who had died and whose body was brought back for burial. We were just looking at the tombstones, waiting perhaps to see the priest. We·didn' t have to wait long. Father Sprieter ( if that's the correct spelling) came over to talk to us. He was one of the two U.S. Episcopal delegates at the canonization. Well, it was perfect! He was very familiar with the history of St. Andrew's church and especially of Mother Seton's mother's family, whose father had been the pastor at St. Andrew's. We noted in the church bulletin that during Lent, there would be a communion service two or three times a week. We mentioned to Father who already knew that for the monthly communion service at Trinity Episcopal, Mother Seton and her sister-in- law wouldn't miss it, and hurried then to attend another communion service at St. Paul's, which was a mission church of Trinity. Do you know what Father Sprieter's remark to this was? He said: Oh 23 yes, if Elizabeth Seton was living today, she would still be with us." We took in on the visit (inaudible), which is much like Our Lady of Mercy church in downtown Pittsburgh. Again we had not planned on meeting anybody, but the pastor came into the church. He was interested in who we were. He went into the sacristy, put on his cassock and surplus and came out and we had a prayer service. Sister Barbara Smelko started us out singing "What Light Is This?" We hardly got through it with the tears that it brought to our eyes. It was so thrilling...unplanned. We went to Calvary Cemetery. There are four or five Calvary Cemeteries right along the edges of Long Island. We knew that Catherine Seton, Mother Seton's daughter and her grand niece were buried there. We did know that it was in "Calvary Cemetery," Number One. We had arranged to have someone direct us. Ifwe had just been on our own, it would have been hopeless to find it. We were directed to the plot. The Sisters of Mercy must have been scattered in that early time of the cemetery. There is a large cross there listing the names of the sisters, including Sister Catherine Seton, and also the grand niece whose name was also Sister Catherine Seton. We went up to New Rochelle at a house where Elizabeth Seton's( Betty Bayley) uncle lived. The house is very fancy. It's quite a picturesque, historical site. It was then occupied by an elderly couple who owned it. Sister Edith Strong had written ahead noting that we knew it was her private home, but we would very much like to visit it. Sure enough, the lady did respond for us to come. The house is not the original. Two things are: One, the wine pantry above the wine cellar, the original pantry that her uncle Will Bayley had. Then in a couple of the rooms, like the living room, there were pictures. I don't know who in the family these persons were, but the husband's picture was in one room, and the wife's in the other. The woman who owned the house now said that perhaps they didn't talk much to each other We visited the local cemetery, the D.A.R.(sounds like). It was still Decoration Day, so we put a flag on Uncle Will Bayley's grave. We also visitedTrinity Episcopal Church, which had been hers and St. Paul's mission chapel. I remember in St. Paul's mission chapel that there is a sign on the benches or kneelers which says: "George Washington worshiped here." It was a perfect weekend. We took a chance on both the weather and circumstances. From here, we move to 1978, 1979, the first five years after the canonization. You might remember that the canonization prayer was on all the prayer cards and was used at the collect of the Mass for Mother Seton's canonization. The expression: "learn to express our love for God in service for our fellow men and women" was used. Quite a few ofus objected to this. In the first place, there was no prayer addressed to Elizabeth Seton either honoring her or about her. Children for example aren't going to pray for service to our fellow men and women. It was too formal. Some of us mentioned it to Bishop Connare. He suggested that we get in touch with Father Taggert in Emittsburg, who was still the Vice Postulator. Father Taggert and Bishop Connare had met on an occasion in Emmitsburg, and they had discussed the need. Father Taggert wrote back to me and said that he felt the same way about the prayer. However, he said that at first he did approve of the prayer, the reason being that it did mention women. There was then a revision made which read: "May we learn to express our love for you in love for one another." Bishop Connare did endorse this with a copy of his document indicating that the prayer could be used in the Diocese of Greensburg, signed "William G. Connare." Finally, it went to Archbishop Remberandt Weakland. He was the chairman for the Liturgy Committee for the United States Bishops. It was his suggestion that it came out as it did in the Sacramentary. Whatever way it stands right now came from Archbishop Weakland. Then to Baltimore. This would have been in the l 970's. There was an unusual gentleman there by the name of John Simms. He wasn't a catholic. His profession had to do with silver, crystal, etc. He himself was quite a flamboyant man. Anyhow, John Simms lived about four houses up a side street from Mother Seton's house. That whole area has been declared a historical part.of Baltimore. It's referred to as: "The Seton Hill of Baltimore, although it is not very much of a hill. John Simms was interested in the story of Elizabeth Seton and in the renovation of her house. He had money apparently. It was John who commissioned the lovely wood carved statue of Mother Seton to be in the basement chapel. He made the altar cloth which is used in the downstairs chapel. He wanted the best. There were other gifts that he made. He wanted things to be in keeping with the era....historically accurate. He never became a catholic. The nearest he could get was to be in the offertory procession when Father Sullivan, who had charge of Mother Seton's house at the time had Mass. John even went to Rome for the canonization of Mother Seton. His explanation was: "Well gee whiz, if one of your neighbors, four or five houses away is going to receive an honor like that, that's why I went!" John Simms is the one who is responsible for our having an enlargement of the portrait of Mother Seton, which she sat for in the house on Paca Street. He went to New York on occasion. He saw this portrait there in the archives and asked permission to take it clean it up...the glass, the portrait itself He had to make a couple of trips to make himself well known before it was finally entrusted to him. He received excellent references from Father John Sullivan, the Sulpician who had been in charge of Mother Seton's house. At any rate, that's how we happen to have that enlargement, including the latest, which was included on the prayer card. John Simms is dead. He was found dead, and I'm sure he received an unusual kind of welcome into eternity by Elizabeth Seton. In July of 1981,Sister Sara Louise Reilly and I were asked or we volunteered to do collections for Korea in Indiana. We were there two weekends. We must have had four churches. In the intervening days, we found a map on which Sister Sara Louise discovered that we were a short distance from Vincenze. Vincenze is an old, old city which dates back to the days of Lewis and Clark. It's on the banks of the Wabash River. Sister Sara Louise had made an excellent connection with a gentleman who was an archivist for the college there. I didn't realize how historical the city was until we got there. The "Lilly.Fo undation" a few years ago, subsidized a separate building for Bishop Brute's books. You recall, he had an extensive library in France. He was a medical doctor besides being a theologian. In several contingents, you might say, his books were finally moved from France to Maryland. He became Bishop ofVincenze in 1834. He wanted, of course, to have his precious library there. That library I would say had over seven hundred volumes or more. It is located in an especially built, air-conditioned building by "The Lilly Pharmaceutical Foundation." Sister Sara Louise, as I said had made connections with an archivist there in the education department of the college. The woman who was in charge of the library in the college was also very gracious. We were permitted to examine most of Bishop Brute's books...actually hold them in our hands. He had his name..S. Brute on the inside cover of most of his books. We had in our hands a bible, which belonged to him I guess, but was loaned to Mother Seton. She had notes in it. It went back to him after her death. I think that's how the exchange was made. There were cases on the main floor, which had cupboards containing his vestments, his crozier, portraits, etc. It was just a very thrilling return of Bishop Brute and Elizabeth Seton back in the Emmitsburg days. We loved it. One of the most memorable, and I've had many pilgrimages to Emmitsburg, for was with Sister Margie Nolan (no longer in the community) and the young people in her special religious education program in Wheeling, WV. We had arranged for them to have two nights at Mount St. Mary's. They gave us a dormitory on the ground level. Among them there were seven or eight disabled persons. That may not sound like many, but seven or eight disabled people require about four or five caretakers. One was blind, who incidentally was a lector at her parish church. She read from Braille. There were two young men who had been injured in automobile accidents which left them partially paralyzed. The young man who was driving under the influence of alcohol, is somewhat crippled, and his speech is affected. He uses a cane. He travels around the country visiting schools speaking against the use of alcohol while driving. It is part of what has become the nationwide slogan. "Just say no!" Another girl was in a wheel chair. Each one had serious disabilities. We used the cafeteria in Mt. St. Mary's. If you've been down there, you know that it's a long trek, if you use a cane, crutches, and you need someone to guide you. We spent two days visiting the places in Emmitsburg. They were full of questions. The first night that we were there, tired and all, we had a film on Elizabeth Seton. They opened up the social room for us at Mt. St. Mary's. The second night, we had a question and answer session, which lasted well into the night. That was an especially memorable pilgrimage, and I've kept in touch with that group since. They absorbed, admired, and loved Elizabeth Seton. Finally, I'm going to stop at this point. This year, 1989, Genevieve Blatt invited us to the fifteenth annual birthday party in honor of Elizabeth Seton at the end of August in Harrisburg. Genevieve Blatt, with her Mother Seton Club invited many young people whose name is Elizabeth Ann to come to the event. I'm not sure where she got the many young girls who attended. I went down there in 1979 ( I would presume) to Harrisburg with my niece, Beth Ann Johnson, as we know her. We have pictures of her taken there with Genevieve Blatt and with Bishop Hogan, Bishop of Altoona, who happened to be the Celebrant for the Mass for the occasion. One of the following years, Beth Ann's parents received a letter, inviting her again to the annual birthday party. Beth Ann's mother wrote to Genevieve Blatt and explained that Beth Ann died on the tragic Pan Am plane flight over Locherbk, Scotland on December 21, 1988. Beth Ann's mother mentioned an incident in the letter, saying that they would be forever grateful to Elizabeth Seton, that finally, Beth Ann's body had been found on January 4, 1989. The explosion occurred on December 21, 1988. Within a week, the girl who was with Beth Ann had been identified. I remember that we, Sister Jean Boggs and I were at the home of the girl's parents Doctor Saracene and wife, when the call came saying that their daughter Elise's body had been found and identified. Doctor Saracene and his wife worked in the art department at Seton Hill College. This of course had Beth Ann's parents waiting momentarily for a call. When it didn't come for another week, the Sisters in Pittsburgh suggested that the Sisters of Charity all, pray especially to Elizabeth Seton for Beth Ann's remains to be found. Word also went to our Sisters in Arizona and Korea. My sister, Genevieve and I talked about this on January third. I suggested to Genevieve that it would be nice to call Glenn and Carol, Beth Ann's parents and tell them about the special prayer project of The Sisters of Charity. Glenn and Carol were in London. I said : "It would be at least a bright moment for them to know that all the Sisters of Charity are praying." The next afternoon, I received a direct call from Carol in London saying that Elizabeth Seton came through. Beth Ann's parents were both happy to go down to Emmitsburg this past August. It was the only time since the tragedy that they were able to say when they came back that it was wonderful. I'm going to stop here. SMCM: Alright, Sister. You have given us a lot of wonderful memories that have been precious to you over the years. I know that these history notes you have given us will be treasured. SMAR: This is a somewhat edited edition of the oral history of Sister Mary Agnes Schildkamp, which was recorded on five cassette tapes. I completed this on September 19. 2011. OH-52-4-5 Sr. Mary Agnes Schildkamp -MEM This is a tape on the memoirs of Sister Mary Agnes Schildkamp about some of our beloved sisters. The interview is being conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller at the Greensburg Faculty House. The date is March third, nineteen eighty-nine. SMAS: Sister Marie Corona, my recollections of Sister Marie Francis Curran, the sister we are starting with today, is a brief, but very telling one, because it describes the personality of Sister Marie Francis. We were at Saint Simon and Jude in Blairsv ille, PA. This was in the early forties, so I was pretty young. Sister Marie Francis was the housekeeper there. It was far enough away from Seton Hill to be considered on the outskirts of Greensburg. Sister knew that I was just there temporarily, quite a little piece away from my family in Scottdale, and had just come from having surgery. She was particularly considerate. The one story I remember so vividly about her was that each day she would come out to the front porch of the convent. She knew recess time, which was when she did this. She would wave to me, and when she got my attention, she would hold up one finger or two fingers. If she could hold up three fingers, she almost jumped up and down. That meant that I had received mail that day. Sister Norberta Murrin, who died May 16, 1935 is the next sister. Sister Norberta was the supervisor of schools when I was beginning teaching. I was professed in 1935. I was stationed at Sacred Heart. Sister Norberta came for an overnight visit. She had an appointment in East Liberty the next day. I was asked to be her companion. In those days we kept silence on the streets. Since I was companion to the supervisor was the second reason why I kept silence. At any rate, we walked up Center Avenue, came to the intersection of Center and Highland. I kept on walking up Center. Sister Norberta turned up Highland Avenue. I was pretty far up Center Avenue before I even missed her. However, she was not very far up Highland Avenue before she missed me. She had turned around to see where I was. I didn't think it was funny. I laugh about it now. Remember, that in those days we wore outside bonnets that came out two or three inches past our face, so I couldn't see what Sister Norberta was doing. What I recall most vividly was I was sure I would be sent home or at least taken out of teaching. However, it was never mentioned at the convent. Sister Victorine didn't say anything about it. It was just passed off, but it never passed off with me. Sister Liguori Gillespie, who died June 5, 1931... I knew Sister Liguori for one special, personal reason. She entered several years before me...not sure how many. The first Sister Mary Agnes and the frrst Sister Liguori were blood sisters. I did not ask for Sister Mary Agnes' name. I think it was Sister Mary Paul who suggested it to Mother Mary Francis because she knew that my mother' s name was Mary Agnes. I would never have asked for it. Sister died a couple of weeks after I entered in 1928. I didn' t know Sr. Mary Agnes at the time, nor did I know Sr. Liguori, but I knew that Sr. Mary Agnes had a blood sister living. Sister Liguori was approached, probably by Mother Mary Francis McCullough about my having her sister's name. Her response was: "Yes indeed! I want to see the person who is going to have my sister's name!" I was pleased enough about that, but Sister Liguori seemed to be an assistant to Mother Mary Francis. She was around us novices all the time checking on us and advising us. That sort of thing. For instance, Sister Liguori would get my laundry every week before I did just to see if there was anything that needed to be mended. I wish I could say that she very graciously mended it for me. She brought whatever piece needed to be mended and showed me how to do it. I had to do it myself. I do recall and appreciate her sensitivity and attention to me just because I had her sister's name. She was well up in years. I remember one time in the novitiate at a Sunday morning conference, she held up a dining room service apron. I recognized it right away as mine. She said: "Sister Mary Agnes, what' s wrong with this apron?" I said to her: "Sister, it's too big. Is that what you wanted me to say?" I had pinned down the bib. Unfortunately, I left the pins in. I was in trouble for leaving the pins in to go through the laundry. So much for Sister Liguori. Now Sister Agnes Daugherty who died just three years ago on May 31, 1986. I've known Sister Agnes for many years. I lived with her at St. Luke's in Carnegie. I think I knew Sister Agnes pretty well even before that. She was an eighth grade teacher. Probably our having the same name, Agnes, and her friendly disposition would explain how we happened to be good friends for quite a few years. The five years I was at St. Luke's, Sister Agnes was there. I'll tell you just one story. Sister Agnes Marie Reuber was there too. She was principal of the grade school. Sister Agnes who was a soft spoken, gentle, loving, gracious and good teacher was in the eighth grade. At the beginning of our first year there, we had a meeting in the community room. After the meeting was over Sister Agnes Marie, who was the Sister Servant was in particularly good form. She said to me in Sister Agnes' s hearing: "You know Sister Mary Agnes, you and I are very fortunate. When some irate person comes to the door and·says: "I want to see that Sister Agnes, we'll give them Sister Agnes." Sister Agnes didn't mind, and of course we didn't have to refer anybody. Sister Agnes Geraldine Euler was next to me in the community. She died ten years ago on June 9, 1979. I knew her from nineteen twenty-eight on until she died. She was lively, bright, and loved teaching. She was a successful principal of Sacred Heart Elementary School. She was Supervisor of our elementary schools for many years. Naturally I would remember her last month on earth. Sister died of Cancer. We visited her often...! did at Assumption Hall. She was still the same pleasant; I wouldn't say calm, but lively, interested person she had been all through those years. At the time we were in the novitiate, Sister Agnes Geraldine, Sister Catherine Agnes Holpp, Sister Agnes Louise Green, and Sister Mary Agnes Schildkamp were know as the four noisy Agneses. The only explanation that I can give for this is that one time, we didn't realize the seriousness of the silence from two o'clock to three o'clock PM in the afternoon. We went down to the orchard where we had a wonderful time. We figured it was out of bounds and were excused from the two o' clock silence. I'm not sure whether or not anyone reported us, but the label "Four Noisy Agneses" stuck with us briefly. I don't think anyone refers to it any more. And now Sister Dominica O' Connor, who died on June 10, 1977. I knew Sister Dominica for a long time. I was with her in the mid thirties at Holy Innocents in Sheraden. That's where I came to know her well. Then later in the fifties, Sister was at Elizabeth Seton High School. At that time she was ill. She had a heart ailment. If there's such a person who is a typical, Irish, gracious, lovely, nun, it would be Sister Dominica O'Connor. She had lots of stories she would tell about the Irish from her own background. Maybe she made them up. She was an excellent teacher. She taught Social Studies. In Sheraden at Holy Innocents, and that would have been 1934, Sister Dominica had an eighth grade. Sister Kathleen Kennedy, who came over from Ireland and I had the two seventh grades, so we were a threesome. I must say that the threesome with me with a name like Schildkamp was an excellent threesome as far as I was concerned. I learned much about teaching from that experience. Sister Mary Cosmas King, who died on June 15, 1983, was born in one of the middle European countries. She did day work. How long she did this before entering, I don't know. Community records would show that. In Hazelwood, she met a woman named Mrs. Marie Peters. Sister Mary Cosmas, who was not yet Sr. Mary Cosmas and Marie became very good friends. I taught in Hazelwood from nineteen thirty until nineteen thirty-three. One of my students was Rita Peters, daughter of Marie. I taught Rita in the eighth grade. She died when she was either a Freshman or Sophomore in high school. It was from an accident. Mrs. Peters and her husband, Joe, grieved very much over the death of Rita. Sister Mary Cosmos, I remember, was a real consolation to Mrs. Peters and her husband at that time. I've kept in touch with Mrs. Peters, who now lives in Aliquippa. Her husband is deceased. My point is, that up until the death of Sister Mary Cosmas, she and Marie Peters kept in touch. Marie visited Sister Mary Cosmas at Assumption Hall. That relationship lasted over thirty or forty years. Sister Mary Cosmas was a housekeeper at St. Stephen's during the early thirties. She was really very good to us. Over half the house were novices, so we had many charges. Sister Mary Cosmas kept us in line. She knew what to do, and showed us how to do it. She was stem, and a little bossy, but I liked Sister Mary Cosmas. She was very good to us. Moving now to Sister Marie Antoinette Reilly. She died on July 13, 1947. I can tell you very little about her. I was at old Sacred Heart down on Center Avenue. At this time, I want to say that she was in charge of the poor. I don' t know what her title was. In Father Coakley' s time, there was a parish set up connected with the St. Vincent de Paul Society for helping the poor. Sister Marie Antoinette worked full time, even though she was she was pretty well up in years. This would have been in the late thirties. My warm recollection of Sister Marie Antoinette was that she was a model for service...always sweet, gentle, and courteous to anyone who came to the door. Some came at ungodly hours. Some coming shabbily dressed. Others not even sober. There were two houses which we used as our convent. The frrst floor of one of these houses was used by Sister Marie Antoinette for her work. All ofus admired and knew that Sister Marie Antoinette was giving us an example of St. Vincent de Paul's charity and I'm sure of Elizabeth Ann Seton' s as well. She was an inspiration. I was only there for one year, but I'm glad for that one year' s acquaintance. Now I come to Sister M. Virginia Donnelly. Sister died the year before I entered on July 16, 1927. She was from Scottdale as was I. Our family lived on Fifth Avenue. The Donnelly' s lived on Fourth Avenue. I couldn' t tell you how many times I carried a suitcase for Sister Virginia when she came to visit her parents. Mrs. Donnelly always met us at the door and to thank me gave me a holy card, a statue...something of that sort. There were two daughters in the convent, so I know now that Mrs. Donnelly probably had a good supply. Nonetheless, I did appreciate getting them. Sister Virginia and I walked up from the streetcar stop. We didn' t do much talking, but I thought she was very pretty. Now, coming to Sister Francis Mary Coleman. Sister Francis Mary died on July 21, 1987. My sponsor, we used to call them our spiritual mother, was. Sister Mary Paul Coleman. They were blood sisters. Sister Mary Paul was my teacher in high school at Scottdale. Just because Sister Mary Paul was my sponsor, Sister Francis Mary took great interest in me. I know that she spent many years out West, and that her service out there is on record some where else in the archives. Sister Francis Mary was one of the first sisters I came to know and remember because of her friendliness, and her similarity of course to Sister Mary Paul. Before Sister Francis Mary died, she was at Assumption Hall for a couple of years. I used to visit her. She was blind at that time and couldn' t see. I would only have to start to say this is Sister Mary Agnes. She would say something like: "Oh Sister Mary Agnes, I' m glad to see you." I know that I reminded her of her own Sister Mary Paul. I enjoyed my visits with Sister Francis Mary and marveled at her patience. She was not only blind, but she was incapacitated in other ways. Now, Sister Ildefonse Lambing, who died July 27, 1937. Sister Ildefonse was a blood sister to Father Michael Lambing, who was pastor at St. John' s in Scottdale for fifty years. I didn' t know him of course during his fifty years. He died just a couple of years after I entered, but at the time of my entrance, Sister Ildefonse was missioned to Scottdale. She taught piano. I took piano lessons from Sister Ildefonse. I admired her because I admired Father Lambing. We all did. Sister Helen Marie Haley, who entered the year before I, both remember that Sister Ildefonse helped to make some of the clothes we had to take with us when we entered. I know I watched Sister Helen Marie whose quite tall..must be five feet nine or five ten. She was standing on a bench in the convent parlor being measured for the night gowns that we wore. I guess they were percale. I remember thinking at the time that I didn' t want to go to bed looking like that...dressed in that sort of thing. I think it's awful! I was a year younger than Helen. Therefore, I couldn't enter with her. However, a year later, after my junior year at school, I stood on that same bench and let Sister Ildefonse measure me for the same nightgowns. And now, Sister M. Margretta Bernlohr, who died at Assumption 29, 1980. It happened that I and others were making a thirty day retreat at Doran Hall. What I remember almost solely were the trips we made to Assumption Hall to visit Sister Margretta who was dying. She was a little bit of a German sister. She was a real philosopher. Each time we went to see her , about three of us, even though she could hardly talk, she would give us just a few friendly words containing a moral message saying how wonderful it was to reach the point where you think you are going to Heaven, and are sure you will see the face of God. I know that whatever we heard from the retreat masters during these thirty days was made firm and real through our visits to Sister Margretta. Sure enough, she did go up to heaven before that retreat was over. We loved her. We' re moving into the month of August. Early in the month of August, on the sixth, two sisters, Mother M. Claudia Glenn and Sister M. Eugenia Hileman died on the same day. I knew Sister Eugenia at Sacred Heart High School. Sister M. Claire Blakely was the Principal. Sister Eugenia was pretty much the Administrator. Sister Eugenia was in the Religion Department. She was a prim, precise, very regular kind of sister. She expected the girls to be ladies. As I think of it now, her expectations of the girls, and her own disposition matched very much some of the sisters at Seton Hill College, who were deans of women, who expected Seton Hill women to look proper, to be gentle, to be courteous, etc. Let me put a little story in here. Now, this is 1989. The other day I was coming into the house via yellow cab. The cab driver told me he had just picked up four or five girls who were student teachers at Greensburg Salem High School. He said they were so quiet. This was at the end of the day. I said to them: "What's the matter with you girls? I thought college students were supposed to be rowdy!" Let me touch further on Mother M. Claudia Glenn. It was my memorable privilege to be at her bedside when she died at Assumption Hall. I had known her, not just as a Mother Superior, but also as an English teacher. I was in a couple of her classes at Seton Hill College. Then, even more personally than that, we lived on Fifth Avenue in Scottdale as afore mentioned, while the Glenns lived on Fourth Avenue. Again, although I never had to carry her suitcase, I remember her two sisters, the "Glenn girls" walking past our house with Mother Claudia. I knew Mother Claudia visited her sisters' homes frequently. Once, just once, when I was still a novice Sister Claudia was going to visit home, and I was going to visit my home. In those days, we had to have a companion. We left Seton Hill as companions, and I had the great joy of stopping off at our home all by myself, while she went on to Fourth Avenue to visit her family. It was unheard of. Sister Claudia had a companion. There were three of us. Sister Claudia has Sister M. Clementine Oler with her. They were great friends. Sister Clementine died on August 13, 1937. Now, I come to Sister Marie Maree Hannon, who died on August 22, 1974. Anyone who was in the Congregation in nineteen seventy-four must surely have known Maree. She was a little bit of a whippet , I thought of her. She had charge of the chapel, not the sanctuary, but all the rest of our chapel at Seton Hill. She really took charge of it. You kept your books straight, or she straightened them for you. You kept the kneelers up or down as they she be, or she did it for you. You never left anything on the bench part of the pew that didn' t belong there, or it would disappear. I remember one morning toward the end of October when the time changes, I had forgotten to change the time. I went into chapel and there was no one there. Then I realized that I had another hour and got up too soon until up front between the pews someplace, was this little bit of a woman. She had been shining the floor. It was like an apparition. I was startled at first. Maree and I made it ahead of everyone else that morning. Now, the morning that Sister Maree died. It was August twenty-second, the feast of the Blessed Mother. Somehow, Maree made it known that she wanted to die on the feast of the Blessed Mother, and she had another wish. That was that she would never have to go to Assumption Hall. Well, Sister Maree, as was her custom walked down to the Cathedral in Greensburg for an early Mass. Habitually, she would walk down the hill. She would have been wearing a mantle and our big bonnet. Sister Maree could walk quickly down the hill, and also up the hill, which was pretty steep to the Cathedral. However, this particular morning, I had some reason for going to the early Mass at the Cathedral too. Sister Rose Agnes McGowan wanted to go also. I was driving. As we were leaving Seton Hill, apparently there was some message at the switchboard about an accident. We remembered later. Well, we went out and got in the car. Sure enough, when we got to the foot of the hill, we saw Sister Maree, who had been struck by a car. There were no police there yet. There was a little bit of black fabric on the street, just below the curb on the side of the tunnel. It was Sister Maree. She was crossing the street to make her way up the hill to the Cathedral. Of course, this little bit of black fabric did not move. She was dead. The driver of the car's name was Locker(his last name). I don't remember his first name. He was a Produce Manager at one of the Kroger stores. He was on his way to work. He was crushed and heart broken. In a very short time an ambulance came, and we followed it up to Westmoreland Hospital. She was declared Dead On Arrival. I mention her dying on the feast of the Blessed Mother, and her not wanting to go to Assumption Hall. Bishop Connare celebrated her funeral liturgy. I remember his homily quite well. First of all, he consoled the Lockers. Mr. Locker and his wife were there. Bishop Connare told them that they should not feel guilty. By this time they knew how quickly Sister Maree moved and that she habitually went to this early Mass. She was not looking to the side. I know Bishop Connare made the Lockers feel much better. But then Bishop Connare said that Sister Maree had achieved two great wishes in her life...one was to die on the feast of the Blessed Mother and the other was that she would not have to go to Assumption Hall. We all laughed because we knew that Sister Maree had made this quite clear. Now, that brings me to Sister Leocadia Mulholland, who died on August 23, 1980. I knew Sister Leocadia at Elizabeth Seton High School. She was a wonderful cook and beautiful seamstress. Her needle work, which is framed hangs in Assumption Hall. Leocadia was a real artist with her hands...whether it was with food, or needle and thread. What's particularly amazing about it is that she had three fingers missing. When she was in the kitchen at Seton Hill, she lost these fingers in one of the machines. She continued in her work cooking and sewing. Even at Assumption Hall, she continued embroidering pillow slips, framing needle work, etc. She did the kinds of needle work that some of us could only admire, but not do. She was the housekeeper and cook at De Paul Institute when we were at Elizabeth Seton during the early years. In those early years at Seton, we had Mass in the house during the week days. We had to go up to De Paul for Sunday Mass, which was about a mile or more away for those of us who walked. Ordinarily though we went by taxi cabs. We didn't have cars in those days. Every Sunday, Sister Leocadia sent us home with pecan rolls or other goodies. She realized that we were pioneering. There was no one in our house at Seton who could begin to match her skill in the kitchen. Sister Marie Antonia McLinden was there at De Paul also. Between Sister Leocadia and Sister Marie Antonia, they were very good to us. That brings me to an outstanding school woman in the Community....Sister Borgia Casey. She died on August 31, 1949. Sister Borgia was supervisor of schools for a while, but I don't remember her so much as a supervisor, but as a beginning teacher. I'm going to omit saying anymore about Sister Borgia here, as Sister told about her in her own oral history. Immediately on my list is Sister M. Pauline Rodgers, who died on September 3, 1957. Sister Pauline was principal of St. John the Baptist School in Scottdale when I was in grade school there. I remember her very well. She gave the appearance of being stem and quite a disciplinarian, but she was a very understanding person. I recall that three or four of us girls, who, during Lent this particular year went to the six thirty Mass every morning. We ourselves considered that to be pretty heroic. One cold, wintry morning, we stayed around after Mass and skated right in front of the school. The school was set back on a concrete block. We had a long skating path made before we went home to get our breakfast. Well, when we got to school, Sister Pauline was looking for the young women who had made a dangerous, skating path. Didn' t we realize that the children could fall, that they could be injured, and that this was a very risky thing for us to do? We were thinking that we were pretty holy by going to Mass at six thirty in the morning. She was quite upset about this and said that she was going to call our parents. One of the girls was my cousin Ethel, and I knew that they did not have a telephone. The second girl was Helen Plutonic, and her mother didn't answer the phone because she didn' t speak English. I was the only one whose mother would get a phone call. When I mentioned the situation to Sister Pauline, I think she was relieved. She said: "Well then, you may go back to your classrooms. Just don' t make anymore skating paths." Here is Sister M. Carmelita Quigley's name coming up. During the first few years when we were pioneering at Elizabeth Seton High School, Sister Carmelita came just to be a senior sister on the mission. We knew her as a Music Professor at Seton Hill College. This was in the early pioneering days at Elizabeth Seton High School. We got to know another side of Sister Carmelita. She was so gracious. She was a perfect hostess, no matter who came. We lived in close quarters. She was not any more comfortable or better off than the rest of us, but she loved it. She was nice to the students and enjoyed whatever Music she heard during the day. And now, I'm still in the month of September, Sister Constantia Murphy. I think the story has gone down through the years, and this would have happened in the early nineteen thirties, when I was at Saint Stephen's in Hazelwood. Sister Constantia was the Music teacher...fue person. Sister had a great choir there...sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. We all remember the evening we were at dinner, of course in silence when the doorbell rang. Whoever went out and answered opened the door wide. The man who was delivering something shouted: "Sister Constantinople, is this where she lives?" Sister Charles Regina Davis was our fourth grade teacher at St. John the Baptist School in Scottdale. I'll tell you one story about her. The year I was in fourth grade, which was in the early twenties, the sisters changed from wearing the oil cloth cap to the silk cap. This happened at Christmas, which was understandable as Christmas was the day the sisters renewed their vows. When we came back to school after Christmas vacation, there was Sister Charles Regina in a shiny, new cap. We thought Sister Charles Regina was ancient, but there she was in this shiny, new cap, which made her look young. We had a weekly assignment every week, and that was to write about and get up and read whatever happened in the past week. Some of it we made up. This week after Christmas, we all had the same thing to say: " Sister Charles Regina came back to school wearing a shiny, new cap, and it makes her look like sixteen." She accepted every bit of our complimentary talk. Sister Agnes Marie Reuber, who died in 1975. She too is remembered by many of the sisters. Sister Agnes Marie and another sister whom I'll mentioned later was "a black eyed German." She referred to me also as being "a black eyed German." The other sister is Sister Hildegarde Eichenlaub. I came to know Sister Agnes Marie partly when she was on the council as procuratrix at Seton Hill, but mainly when she was principal of Cathedral School in Altoona. That would have been in the late nineteen thirties. I'm omitting this next part as Sister already told about it in her oral history. I would like to mention Sister Jeannine Connelly, who died in 1960. I remember Jeannine when she was a student at Elizabeth Seton High School. Her Baptismal name was also Jeannine. She died as a very young sister. And then, that brings us to November 1, 1951 when Sister Hildegarde Eichenlaub died. Sister Hildegarde was the principal of Cathedral School in Altoona. She was the one, who sent to my eighth grade door, a girl who was a problem. She lived in a house...I cannot say it was a home. Her mother brought her to Cathedral School as a last resort. She had just been expelled from a school in Lakemont, which is just outside of Altoona, for slapping or striking a teacher. She wasn' t interested in anything we were teaching, but in no time we discovered that she was an artist. If she was missing from class, or didn' t go home, the janitor had to make sure she wasn't in one of the primary classrooms helping to decorate bulletin boards. She was wonderful. She even did a commissioned piece of art work for Bishop Guilfoyle. The story is long, so I'm just going to tell you the ending. She was in and out of the church. She had two babies at Roselia Foundling. She died five years ago in Tucson, Arizona. She died of cancer. I heard that she had just a few weeks to live. I called her. Her sister, who was in her room, answered the phone. I identified myself and asked to speak to her. She had no voice, only breath. Her last words to me were: "Sister, you don' t have to worry anymore. Everything is fixed up." I learned that she had, on her own sent for the chaplain, and received the sacraments. A day or two later, she died. One story about Sister Mary Hubert Metzler, who died November 3, 1975. Mary Hubert was the telephone operator at Seton Hill for a long time. She was just a frail, little person. Her bones, as I recall, broke readily. She and I shared a room at Pittsburgh Hospital many years ago. ( I couldn't understand the time she gave.) While Sister Mary Hubert was a patient, her mother died. She was bed ridden and couldn't get to the funeral. I was many years younger than Sister Mary Hubert. She was sad and prayed. I laid in my bed admiring her courage, her resignation, and her understanding of what was best for her mother. Sister M. Hilda Corless, who died November 9, 1967. She was our eighth grade teacher at St. John the Baptist School in Scottdale. When I say our, I'm thinking of others who were in the class, like Sister Helen Marie Haley. Sister Hilda was a perfect lady. She did not want us to use slang. Now when I say slang, I mean words like alright. ( I couldn' t understand what she was saying. I did pick up that Sister Hilda considered the correct response to be "Very Well." Sister M. Lucilla Costel, who died November 12, 1955. She was from outside (couldn't determine). It was just outside of Scottdale. She was the oldest of three or four. She used to come to the school to meet her siblings. I suppose they hiked their way home. I recall her as the sacristan or assistant sacristan at Cathedral in Altoona. She was scrupulously careful about the sacred vessels. She wanted them shined. The same was true about the vestments, all of which were used in the Cathedral. I recall one time especially that she polished beautifully a chalice that belonged to Bishop Guilfoyle. He was very unhappy about it because it was old and he loved the evidence of its page and whatever discoloration happened to be on it. She had removed it all, and shined it up. He wasn't angry, but I recall the experience because it made me think when I see some old relic looking objects why you wouldn't want to shine them up. You want them to show their age. Sister Rose Vincent McNulty, who died December 3, 1968. No doubt in Sister Rose Vincent's file, there are many stories about the work she did both in administration and education. She was Sister Servant at Sacred Heart when I went there as a substitute. At any rate, she was particularly gracious and thoughtful. We were still just five year novices. There again, we saw her differently from when she was on the council as an administrator at Seton Hill. On the mission, we saw her as an interested, friendly person, not as an administrator. Sister M. Loyola Conrad, who died December 4, 1948. She was a dear, little second grade teacher at St. John the Baptist in Scottdale. We thought she was old, but she may not have been. She loved processions. She was in charge of any activity that the first and second grade were engaged in. She herself was little, so it was easy to be friends with Sister Loyola. I'm sure there are stories in her file about the confident teacher that she was, and of her unusual understanding of little children. I'm going to mention Sister Sara Marie O'Hara, who died on December 5, 1964. Her last mission was at Elizabeth Seton High School. She had multiple sclerosis. We saw her go from being a full time business teacher to being a part time (couldn't make out what she said) teacher, until she became a patient at Assumption Hall. At some stage of her illness, it was decided that she should go down to Washington DC for a week in the summertime for treatment. I was asked to go with her. I stayed at St. Anne's Orphanage with the Daughters of Charity. Sister Sara Marie, of course was with The Daughters of Charity in Emmitsburg. On July fourth, the Sister Servant, who had noticed that Sister was quite disabled suggested that we go over to Emmitsburg and spend the day with Sister Sara Marie, as she wouldn't be having any treatment that day. At that time, the Daughters in Emmitsburg, after their main meal went in procession to Mother Seton's tomb to pray for her canonization. There were about five hundred sisters in the procession. This particular day the sisters knew about Sister Sara Marie's condition. The Sister Servant had told them. The Sisters decided that the intention of the rosary that day would be for Sister Sara Marie. Now, Sister Sara Marie was able slowly to get to Mother Seton's tomb. Much of the rosary was over by the time we got there. I know that this event meant much to Sister Sara Marie. The Sister Servant gave her a first class relic of Mother Seton, which were not too plentiful at that time. What I personally remember about the event is that Sister Sara Marie said: "I'm going to say a rosary for you every day as long as I live." I'm sure that these rosaries are still a great trust fund for me. Sister Mary Paul Coleman, who died December 14, 1950. Sister Mary Paul was one of our high school teachers at St. John the Baptist in Scottdale. I think there were nine ofus who were candidates of Sister Mary Paul. She was a popular high school teacher. I remember that shortly after I entered in nineteen twenty-eight, Sister Mary Paul, who I thought was pretty well up in years , celebrated her Silver Jubilee. As far as I was concerned, that confirmed the fact that she was pretty well up in years. I've changed my mind about Jubilarians being old, since some of my former students are Golden Jubilarians. Sister M. Victorine Ellsworth, who died on December 14, 1952. Sister Victorine was principal of both the grade and the high school at St. John the Baptist in Scottdale when I entered. She was a good principal as far as I can recall, but she was a lively, friendly, person. I know she loved Music. It was her idea that we walk out of school at dismissal every day to the accompaniment of piano music. We think of the old days as being strict and structured, but Sister Victorine put life into what otherwise would have been a routine school day. Now I'm moving to Sister John Baptist Curren, who died on December 28, 1989. I have just one thing to say and that was that she was my second grade teacher. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Mary Agnes Schildkamp Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Agnes Schildkamp Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Agnes Schildkamp, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1928 until 2006. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on November 19, 1986, February 18, 1988, February 20, 1988, March 3, 1989, and October 28, 1989. Sister Mary Agnes Schildkamp was born on April 21st, 1912 in Scottdale, Pa. Daughter of Henry Schildkamp and Mary Kosler, Florence Catherine Schildkamp entered the community on July 2nd, 1928 at the age of 16 as Sister Mary Agnes Schildkamp. Sister Mary Agnes taught upper elementary for 12 years and secondary for 20 years. She was an administrator in elementary for 3 years and in secondary for 13 years. She was the Director of Project Forward for 4 years. She taught at Elizabeth Seton High School, St. Luke's, and St. Pancratius. Sister Mary Agnes received her B.A. in English from the University of Pittsburgh in 1943 where she also studied biology and history. Then, in 1956, she received her M.A. in English and Philosophy from Catholic University. Sister Mary Agnes Schildkamp passed on November 3rd, 2006 at the age of 94. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986/11/19 1988/02/18 1988/02/20 1989/03/03 1989/10/28 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-52 Catholic University Educational Administrator Pennsylvania Project Forward Scottdale Teacher University of Pittsburgh https://scsharchives.com/files/original/8d0dec69571dbb275e333114bd6fc698.mp3 dcfb9a6b6e9bba236abd813305fb8736 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/f4c75adaf174682933dec115cfb45728.mp3 3a2a1acd7f5a2da2a567c1f8867ea1ec https://scsharchives.com/files/original/b72b2cd3e1bb7a8790ca2a131b32d0bd.mp3 f3a15bae36c4b8cb571edf7ce5ef582d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Miriam Jane Hollowood Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Mary Schmidt Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 27:04 28:25 26:45 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH - 81 Sr. Mary Schmidt Side I of Tape marked I and II OH I and OH II SMJH: This interview is being conducted as part of the oral history program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister Mary Schmidt ,formerly known as Sister M. Thecla, and the interviewer is Sister Miriam Jane Hollowood. The interview is being conducted at Seton Hill College on July tenth, nineteen hundred eighty-four. SMJH: Sister Mary, will you tell us something about yourself before you came to Seton Hill? SMS: I am the oldest of six children. · My father was Henry Schmidt, who was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. My mother was a teacher of Speech, what they then called Elocution, Unfortunately, I didn' t imbibe any of the things my parents had specialized in. I went to Sacred Heart Grade School and High School. I'm sure that's where I got my greatest feelings for the Sisters of Charity . SMJH: Who were some of the Sisters that you knew at that time? SMS: I suppose the ones I had in high school were the most memorable. I had my name from the marvelous Sister M. Thecla Carroll, who was a Latin and Mathematics teacher. Sister Thecla died very suddenly at the age of forty-four when I was a sophomore at Sacred Heart. This was my first experience with death. At that time, Mother Rose Genevieve Rodgers knew I was going to enter and she said she would like to save that name for me, so she did. The person who was ' most influential with me at Sacred Heart was Sister M. Claudia Glenn, who later became Mother M. Claudia Glenn. She taught English for the four years I was at Sacred Heart High School. She was really the first to note I am sure that I was going to become a Sister of Charity. When I was twelve or thirteen, a freshman in high school, I remember one day of being struck beyond words when Sister Claudia said: "Mary, I know that you are going to be a Sister." I said: Well, how did you know that?" I realize now that she could see it. Those were the two people who were most influential. Of course, there was a teacher, Sister Rose de Lima Henry, whom I had the pleasure of having for Latin for four years. There were others. However, if you are asking for the highlights, those are the highlights. SMJH: When Mother Claudia said that she knew you were going to be a Sister, did you know? SMS: Yes, that's why I was so surprised. It was just around that time when I was in the eighth grade going into high school that I simply realized that I was to be a Sister. At that time I thought it was rather glamorous, but I also knew that it was a way of devoting my entire life t·o some thing. This may sound naive, but I always knew that I had to devote my entire life to something. It couldn't be any less. That's why I didn't want to marry, not meaning anything derogatory about marriage. I remember how I was very drawn to praying in Sacred Heart Church. They had Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on Fridays when'I was in grade school. I was always running back and forth between the church and home. We didn't live very far away. I also kept saying to mother: "I won't be away long. I'll be back soon. She of course didn' t mind. Then fortunately, or unfortunately, I realized that I wasn' t in any big hurry. My father, of course, just took it for granted that one went to college. I had no problem with that. I was delighted to go to college. Obviously, I went to Seton Hill. I had studied piano with my father for a number of years. He was very interested in my not being very good at it. He said: "If you are really interested in becoming a religious, I don't want you to become a piano teacher." He had seen too many of them who didn't have enough to do but listen to little children. I had nothing to do with it, but I have always been grateful to him since. He said: "I don't want you to learn any more piano if you are determined to do this." Before I went to college, that was the idea. It is also true that my first preference has been English, both reading and writing it. I really don't think I ever had any trouble with anything. I had an extraordinarily happy childhood and home. I look back on that as being very helpful to me. My mother was a convert, and had no great feeling for my wanting to be a Sister. She also had some problems with some of the sisters when my brothers were altar boys and choir boys. That wasn't important. She came to be very happy with the whole thing. That's pretty much in a nut shell what my early years were like. SMJH: Now, you said your Father was a Music Professor. Didn't he also teach at Seton Hill College? SMS: Well, he did along with his teaching at Carnegie Mellon. He didn' t teach at the college while I was a student. I know he was here while I was a white capped novice. He never left Carnegie Mellon. He only came up to Seton Hill College two days a week. This was during depression times when the younger students at Carnegie Mellon and at Seton Hill were not so numerous as they had been, and consequently he was able to condense his work at Carnegie Mellon into three days a week and teach at Seton Hill the other two. He was here for four or five years. I remember that Mother M. Evaline Fisher was the Mother Superior and also chair­ man of the Board of Directors for Seton Hill College. She wanted to get my father to be chair­ man of the Music Department, hoping that the connection with Pittsburgh might be influential in getting more students to come to the college. My Father and Doctor Reeves were great friends, and my father enjoyed his time at Seton Hill. I believe that it was difficult for my father and he should only have been at Seton Hill for a short time. Anyhow, he went back to Carnegie Mellon until he retired. All of his friends were there. It was like in the Henry James era. If you wanted to study music a lot, you went to Europe, and so he did. Many of his friends went to Europe also and when they came back they were the pioneer faculty of the Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University. This was about nineteen hundred ten. We were faculty children, and we went to the swimming pool and music classes, and Dr. Baker' s Christmas parties for faculty children. That's my recollection of it. It was kind of a nice thing. We enjoyed it. SMJH: That' s good, and he got to be part of our faculty at Seton Hill. You graduated from Seton Hill with a Bachelor's degree in English and then went to Pitt to obtain a Master' s degree in English. SMS: Yes, I graduated from Seton Hill in nineteen thirty-two, and again wasn't in any hurry to leave home, so I went to Pitt and graduated with a Master's degree in English in nineteen thirty­ four. My father was also in favor of this. He thought it was better for one to get as much college work as possible, as he had some insight to some of the problems people had. SMJH: So, you entered the Community then in nineteen thirty-four. What was the Community like at that time? I'm sure it was different for a woman entering with a Master's degree, which was not common at that time. SMS: It was difficult. I was the first one. People thought that you might become a snob. I was a great substitute in the fourth grade, about which I knew nothing, and I have never to this day set my foot inside a high school as a teacher. I understand this. It was the mentality of religious life at that time, and it would not happen today. I knew that here I was, I belonged, and never doubted for one second. I was extremely happy in the community. The first thing I did when I didn't let them decide was to go to Altoona to teach the seventh grade. Where upon I fell with a terrible case of scarlet fever. That ended my career as a mission sister after a few months. They really wanted someone as a seventh grade teacher. They felt that you would know so much more because of having a master's degree. Then I came back to Seton Hill. I was a black cap novice. For a time, I was not doing anything as the scarlet fever left me with a heart involvement, which evaporated later on, but I had it then. It was Christmas week. I had not made my vows yet. Behold, Sister Victoria Brown, who was an English teacher took a trip to the hospital and was retained for a while. So, here I was with a Master' s Degree in English. There must have been a great commotion among the powers. about my doing anything. Some of them felt it was the kiss of death for me to do anything. There they were, and here I was with this degree, so anyhow I did it. I became a part time teacher in the college the Spring Semester of . nineteen thirty-six. Somehow, I got a much better feeling for the sisters than what I had when I was in college. They seemed so much better. I didn't come to the community because I thought the sisters were marvelous. I came because I knew that was what I had to do with my life. I was presumably destined to be an English teacher. Sister Victoria, who was the treasurer decided that I should go to Oxford University in England for a degree. They didn't give a doctorate, but they gave a Master's, which they feel is superior to our American Doctorate. I was indeed supposed to go. All preparations were made. In the late summer of nineteen thirty;.e ight; there was a big scare in this country that the war was immanent. Well, it was decided that it wouldn't be good to send a young sister off into a war. So everyone said: "We' ll wait·until next year. War was declared on September fourth of nineteen thirty-nine, so I never went. At that same time since I was already to go somewhere, they packed me off to New Haven, Connecticut in September of nineteen thirty-nine. I was there until January of nineteen forty-three, which was four years. I stayed with the Sisters of Charity in New Jersey. They were near the University. They were so nice, but didn't understand what on earth I was doing. I enjoyed that life, that scholarly life I guess you would say, very much...being on my own. However, I knew I belonged in the community, so I hurried back to Seton Hill. SMJH: What did you do your dissertation on? SMS: I did my dissertation on Sir Thomas Moore. It turned out to be a very small subject within a great field. I knew that ifl was going to spend a year or year and a half on anybody, I wanted it to be someone I could feel some sympathy for. I wanted to take someone who had a religious mentality. I thought ifl took Alexander Pope or somebody like that for that length of time, I couldn' t take it! So, even though I had no course work in Tudor English, I took it on.....Sir Thomas Moore. I enjoyed it very much ...going through books, transcribing in black letters which was the way it was then. It has only been in the past twenty-five years that things were printed in ordinary letters. During all this time, the war was going on. I still wonder now why I didn't know more about the war, even though I read the New York Times every Sunday. I still want to know why I didn't know more. I think you become very engrossed and very selfish in a way while during library work. It' s very demanding! There were only four women working on their graduate work, but they too were talking about their work, and not the war. Men were at the age where they were drafted into the war. I'm certainly no expert on the second world war. SMJH: No, but you' re an expert on Thomas Moore. You have published some papers on Thomas More. SMS: Yes, I also have a very good experience of the generosity of this Community. When I finished there, I had all sorts of things that I came across while I was doing my dissertation. The dissertation on Thomas Moore was recognized on Thomas Mooore's use of St. Augustine as his English polemical work. It was certainly nothing anyone should be bored to death by reading it. But, while you are doing this you run across fascinating things which you want to pursue. So, it was the most natural thing in the world to want to write about these things, and.I did. I had many summers, one after the other when I went back to New Haven and did this writing. I got it into print, not anything marvelous. The first thing I had printed was an essay on St. Patrick because that was enlarged in nineteen forty-five shortly after I was back. SMJH: Why did you do St. Patrick? SMS: Well, again, there was a large group of women, possibly from the A.O.H. They wanted a speech, and I was asked if I would give this speech. They wanted something relative to the pious nature. It was in March, and I was asked to speak about St. Joseph or St. Patrick. I knew little about St. Joseph, and I knew that.St. Patrick had a lot of historical things. I made this great discovery that Patrick was a staff (couldn' t make next word out) character. So I got together some of these things and gave my speech. They were things that perhaps they had heard, but claimed they were all news to them. I got this speech sent to the magazine "America" for publication. Then after that I did other articles like St. Thomas Moore , The Medieval Devil and other funny things like that, which were also published in "America", and "The Catholic World". In those days, they were the only magazines that would print things with background, at least that I knew of. There was one article published in the "Scholarly Journal" and others were published in different places. (She didn't name these places). SMJH: Did you also have some poetry published? SMS" Yes, some short ones, which were also published in "America". SMJH: Did you want to say anything about coming back to Seton Hill and being on the Faculty? SMS: Yes, those years when I was teaching were probably the best years of my life. SMJH: That's great, and we'll continue this interview sometime later! SMJH: This is a continuation of the oral history interview with Sister Mary Schmidt. (Sr. Miriam Jane didn't give any date here). Sister, when you returned from Yale University, you became a full time member of the English Department at Seton Hill. What were some of the courses that you taught? SMS: Well, I taught Writing. We all of course taught Freshman English, and I happened to like that very much. I also enjoyed teaching Writing. We also had a course in "Advanced Composition" we called it. English Majors were required to take it. At least they did. Then I taught Shakespeare, Literary Criticism, and sometime later, I'm not sure exactly when, but I taught Twentieth Century English Literature. I never was an American literature person. I didn' t have any advance work in it and didn't have a feel for it. As I recall; we , especially young teachers, took for granted that we taught whatever.needed to be taught. It didn' t matter how many hours it happened to be. One became the advisor for the publications that would be corning in and for the "Quarterly," which at that time was a rather active thing. It came out three times a year and included a commencement issue. Many marvelously talented girls whose things I value very much, and have never thrown out were printed in it. The other thing, of course, was that you were appointed to be a class advisor, as I was, pronto, by Sister Victoria Brown, who was the young Dean at the college. I wanted to write and do all these things, but I became a class advisor immediately. So, the class came in the Fall of nineteen forty-three (some of what she said here is disconnected for want of a way to put it), right when I was getting started. I was the class advisor for the class of nineteen forty-seven. I put on the Freshman show " Anne" of? (couldn't understand what she said). ·The Freshman show had something to do with frogs. I don't remember what it was. A lot of the people laughingly remember some of the songs in it. I do remember how desperately hard it was to get the girls together to get the show together, while at the same time having many other responsibilities. You still had large charges. SMJH: When you say you had large charges to do, what exactly does that mean? SMS: You had a lot of manual stuff which you had to do. You were responsible for cleaning one of the classrooms. You did this for quite a number of years. Some of my dear friends used to come and help me clean. It was in Room 236. They would shove the chairs around, etc. SMJH: Was that your weekly charge? SMS: You cleaned the blackboard every day. Only once a week did you do the marvelous pushing the mop around. These are funny little things, but as faculty members, you were expected to do all these things. You were primarily a good sister, and after that a faculty member. I don't say that with any bitterness. It was just a funny situation, and that's the way it was! Even the chairman of our department, Sister Electa Boyle felt this, and she had done the same. So, there wasn't anything the matter with this. She had no feelings as to the number of things people had to do. You see, it all came through alright. I don't think I became any less the teacher. I think you're young enough. You rise to the occasion! You have good health, and it's expected. SMJH: In addition to your full time teaching, advising, and doing all these other things, you were also responsible for all your community activities. You took time out to go to Quarter Prayers, and did you go to recreation with the community? SMS: Why of course! I skipped recreation as often as I could. There were many evening meetings which I had to attend. I was never very fond of recreation. I think it was a contrived thing! It wasn't really recreational. However, you did all those things. You rose at five-fifteen AM even though you lived on the floor with the students and were responsible for them. I distinctly remember that when Mother Maria Benedict Monahan was confronted with the fact that the college sisters were not getting enough sleep because we had charge of the floors. In other words, they were supposed to be quiet, but not until eleven o'clock. If they weren't quiet, you took care of it, but you still got up at five-fifteen. Mother Maria Benedict said of course that this was fine because we could always catch up on sleep during the time we had between classes. I think that this was her sincere view of the matter. I remember getting very exhausted, and was relieved once I no longer had this responsibility. I really never enjoyed floor duty. SMJH: Did you say that the girls were to be silent at eleven o'clock? SMS: They weren' t silent. They just weren't supposed to shriek, etc. I slept on Fifth Canevan next to a floor of double decked beds. SMJH: Double decked beds? SMS: Yes, they were all double decked beds. We had more students than we had room for. We didn' t have Brownlee or Havey then. They would merrily jump from top to bottom and laugh and laugh. Of course, I made some of my best friends that way too. The only thing is as I think back on it was that it was an arduous life. I don't think it made me a wretched teacher. I think you rise to the occasion , and you can do it. However, I would not ask anyone else to do it. SMJH: As adviser to the Setonian, you probably kept late hours too. SMS: Well, I suppose so. I don't seem to remember much about whether I did or not, but probably did. SMJH: When you were adviser to the Setonian, who was your Printer, do you remember? SMS: Yes, Mr. George Berrry. He had been Adviser to the Setonian when I was Editor during my years in college. He was such a dear man, and a wonderful friend. I remember when I was a Senior, he brought the paper into my house in Pittsburgh. It had just come out . It was during the Summer. I suppose there was a change in Printers. I don't have any recollection of when George Berry died. I didn' t keep the Setonian for years and years. I had it before I went to Yale, and sometime after that. The other thing that I began to do was "The Alumni Quarterly", so every vacation that you had, you're down in the office typing up the news for the next "Quarterly." Here again, with all my ambitions to write, and here I was typing class news. However, I did go away many Summers , and this provided me with opportunity to write. I have never loved anything so much as being a teacher in the classroom. Consequently, it was announced to me in February of nineteen fifty-seven ,by Mother M. Claudia Glenn , that I would not be teaching any longer. This was a great blow to me. I was very unhappy about this. SMJH: Now, you were not to teach any longer, and for what reason? SMS: It was because I was to be in the President's office. I was to be the Assistant to the President of the college per Mother M. Claudia Glenn. I was Assistant, and not Vice President, because she thought I was too young to have this title. I was only forty! I didn't know what I was going to do. The big thing I wanted to do was teach. I said: "But I have courses, and Mother Claudia said:" They will be taken care of." I kept one course going for three years. I also had the honors course, and I kept it up after I got into the office. To a degree I would have evening seminars for the honor students. That's how I came to know Mary Ann Crenner (sounded like) and others. SMJH; Who was the President of the college at that time? SMS: The President at that time was: Father William Granger Ryan. We were always kind of friendly. He used to put his head in the window by the Canevan arch where I had my office. I would be facing the window and suddenly there would be this large head looking at me in the window, laughing. I knew I would never, never, ever learn the alphabet system of that kind of office. It was like another world. Father Ryan was marvelous to work with, so that made up for a lot of other things. That job just grew in a topsy turvy fashion. From the first moment when I talked to Father Ryan that lovely February morning in nineteen fifty-seven, I went right to Mother Claudia. She said: ''Now, Father Ryan expects that you will go over to his house." I went, and there he was wearing a neck brace because he was having so much tension. He would be away and come back this way. So, without any direction from Mother Claudia, because she was most evasive, Father Ryan talked to me. He told me that whenever he was away, he would support me in any decisions, right or wrong, which I made in his absence. I thought...what am I going to decide? So, he was stuck with the assistant title too. We never had a bad moment in thirteen years. SMJH: What were your responsibilities as assistant to the President? SMS: Well, I started out by going through the mail when he was away. That' s when I had very little to do. He didn't quite know yet what to.do with the assistant to the President. That's why I went to the Archives at that time to help Sister M. Electa Boyle. Things began to grow. For one year I could teach one class. When Father Ryan was home, he worked very hard at indoctrinating me to the job, but he was away a good bit of the time. It wasn't a clear cut job. I don't understand it myself, but that's the way it was. Father Ryan was stuck with the assistant title for some time. He wasn't permitted to say what my title really was. At one point he called me "Dean" of the faculty, which I didn't understand either. Then, after a long time, we did get around to my being Vice President. It was an experience which he and Sister Muriel Flamman made quite bearable. The thing that' s so wonderful about this is, that Sister Muriel as Dean of the college was next in line as President...ex officio. All of a sudden here is this other office created between, so I took precedence. She made me feel so welcome. It was the most beautiful experience. It gave me an insight into her which of course extended into several years. I don't know of any other person who could not only make you feel welcome, but was also so gracious. When I say that we never had any bad moments in the office, I don't mean that we didn't have numerous bad moments together. We had numerous, different kinds of people confronting us. We worked two against the world a great deal of the time. I don't remember a great many details in those early years. Father Ryan was doing a great deal of pioneering in the Pennsylvania college organization. He and other independent college presidents, besides universities, really did more in those years for the status of colleges in Pennsylvania, for the scholarship program, for the whole scene of private colleges in Pennsylvania. These were the men who did it all...back scene. There is a section here that is very difficult to hear. Sister's speech is not clear...too fast and words are run together. Suffice it to say, that I believe what she is saying here is that she didn't have a clue about what needed to be done regarding the area of accomplishing the goals that she attributed to Father William Granger Ryan and other college presidents. Sister says again that she had to learn everything from Father Ryan. Her own words were: The Presidents were always very remote. I knew Father Reeves well, but would never just walk into his office. As a faculty member, there was no relationship at all. It was an "on the job" learning experience. Looking back, I don't think I would have asked to be relieved of this job because Father Ryan was such a good priest and educator that I would not have voluntarily left. SMJH: Weren't those also important years in the college in the new arrangement of the board of trustees? Did that happen during those years? SMS: I'll tell you what happened. This was one of the many things which Father Ryan knew he had to accomplish. It was a strange system retained by women religious communities, not sure about men, by which their Mother General and her Officers were in the primary control of the college. Now, "The Middle States' , had been confronting them for some time on this, realizing that they needed larger ranging support in their board. They needed people who understood finances and all kinds of things. These Sisters of course, with all good will did not understand. They were very fearful, not only ours, but there were many others. They were very fearful of losing control. They thought people would run away with the money bags or something like that. They would choose to let anything happen which did not include them primarily. So, Father Ryan got together a board, which was an advisory board. It met for the first time on March twelfth, nineteen hundred fifty-seven, just after I appeared in the office. They were some of the best people to have in Greensburg. SMJH: Who were some of the people? SMS: Well, you had: Chuck Lynch, Tom Wentley (if spelling is correct), Ed Brinker, representatives from the banks... the general people who were knowledgeable and acceptable in Greensburg. Father himself had some friends from elsewhere. There was: Mrs. Helen Cutting, who was a very wealthy woman from New Jersey. She came to all the board meetings from New Jersey. There were others. Oh, I forgot, Jack Coulter was on it. They didn' t really have authority, but they did have a title "Board of Trustees", which was very cunning (believe this is the word she used), but no-one seemed to object to it. They all knew that they were not really a trustee board. So, the Sisters, the Council would meet with them. They did a great many things for us....using their influence financially, getting the city to do things, etc. Sometimes advice was welcome, sometimes not. However, they were there to support and help. They could never get the "Go Sign", to make that Board a legal body, which was really in control of the college, until finally twelve years later, under Mother M. Victoria Brown's leadership in office. She knew what had to be. By this time, "The Middle States" began to be rather insistent about it. So. She and her Council agreed to it. We had a long process of dissolving and incorporating...couldn't understand everything Sr. Mary was saying here. Pat Pacello (if spelling is correct) is and has been our attorney for years. He helped us to get things resolved. He worked in the courts. He even offered to go around to the various communities and explain to the Sisters that we were not giving anything away. We were simply strengthening our Organization. It was determined therefore that there would be fifteen sisters and fifteen lay people on the Board. This was in nineteen sixty-nine, and that is still true. At this time, Father Ryan's health was very poor. He was completely worn out. He got this Board started December of 1969, and announced to them that due to his declining health, he was retiring. He left in June . The Board was finally an accomplished fact. That was his greatest accomplishment for the college. SMJH: We want to talk about your years as President of the college. That will be the topic of our next session. Tape ill Begins Here July 4, 1984. SMJH: This is a continuation of the oral history program with Sister Mary Schmidt. The date is: Wednesday, July fourth, nineteen eighteen-four. Sister Mary was named acting President of Seton Hill College by the Board of Trustees in May of nineteen seventy, and elected to the office of President in nineteen seventy-one. She held that office until her resignation in June of nineteen seventy..se ven. In a newspaper article from "Westmoreland's Wednesday," dated June first, nineteen seventy-seven, the reporter says: "The entire academic world was in turmoil in nineteen, seventy-one, the year that Sister Mary Schmidt was made President of Seton Hill. Student and faculty dissension that arose during the height of the Vietnam conflict continued. Declining enrollments were plaguing all but a few colleges and universities . The image of institutions of higher learning had never been lower. Graduates from colleges all over the country faced a depressed job market. Vocational schools cut into a traditional student school, and career minded young men and women began to seek specialized technical training. Seton Hill was not spared the repercussions of these problems. Happily for the college, the woman who walked into the President's Office in nineteen seventy-one was equal to the task that lay ahead." End of quote. SMJH: Sister Mary, we know that this is true. Will you tell us how you were able to confront the problems and issues of the seventies? SMS: Well, I should say initially that the woman who walked into the President's office at that time had no convictions as to whether she could take care of these things. Neither had she any vision of what was to come. We were, I would say immediately plunged into a horrendous despot in the Summer of nineteen seventy-one. We had, without any warning a smaller freshman enrollment that we had ever dealt with before. The Board, my very attentive and careful Board, immediately said that we could not afford to carry deficits of this sort. The only way we could save money to stabilize (couldn't clearly hear) the College budget was to cut the Faculty. Since the student enrollment was smaller, it was of course assumed that a smaller number of faculty would do. Simplistically of course that wasn't true, but it turned out that I had no choice. I was faced head on with the need to make a study of class size and Faculty members. So, we made a careful view of the whole thing, so that we had at least a reasonable case. Then came the dramatic announcement to terminate three or four young faculty members. This, at the time, was a kind of bombshell, since the unrest of both family and students had already been felt across the country in large universities. It's always later in reaching the smaller, conservative women's campuses. All these faculty members and students were well aware that their time had come. And so, the announcement of the termination of these faculty members, caused quite a commotion, but it resulted shortly thereafter in the Pennsylvania Labor Union being invoked. We therefore were informed that our Faculty had shown that they had desired membership in our college in view. That, of course, threw us into a very bad state, because a labor union in a college of our size, would be fatal. The demands were very high for salaries, etc. It would have been the end of the college. (There was the roar of what sounded like a train here, preventing me from getting what Sister Mary had to say). So, without going into the gruesome details, I would say that we had to go through a period of trying to do everything that we could to help to confront this problem. We were facing an election by our Faculty as to whether or not the college would be accepted. SMJH: Were the Sisters on the Faculty permitted to vote? Were they part of that? SMS: No, the Sisters, normally were not permitted to vote. There was a great deal of feeling among the Sisters. They too felt very keenly about their salaries and conditions, etc. However, the National Relations Board in Pittsburgh, advised that we have a lawyer, and they had a lawyer to determine the Sisters right to vote. It turned out in our favor. They didn't have a vote. We were having this vote then by the lay Faculty, and while you were permitted to talk individually to the Faculty members and Administrator, you couldn't have a meeting. So, it was very draining, and a wretched experience all the way around. Finally, the day came when the secret ballot was to be cast, and this was done at the end of the day to the consternation of the other members who had been brought in from the Pennsylvania Labor Union. The vote was two or three in favor of the Union, but the others were against it, but before that, you had no idea how people were going to vote on a secret ballot. You may have had pleasant conversation or so, but you don' t know how they are actually going to vote. This had been triggered by the termination of those young faculty members, and they lost. This was still in nineteen seventy one-seventy­ two. We were also scheduled for a Middle States exhibit (too difficult to hear), which as you know comes every ten years. We had a special case study that year. It took much more time than the one you had in nineteen eighty-two. Very able administrators from a number of colleges come. I happened to be in the office the night before they were to start their work. " You may find that there is more entertainment on our campus, because our students are going to demonstrate that we are really a wretched Organization because we terminate faculty members and we don't do anything that's right!" Of course, they all laughed. The only thing is that I'm afraid they will never do it because they are ultra conservative. I just want you to be ready for it. Nothing of course happened. Things went on. We didn't have to terminate any more faculty members the following year. The enrollment began to pick up. I think, we have a note here, that at some point in nineteen seventy-seven, we had seven hundred ninety full time students, whereas in nineteen seventy, we had six hundred. For us, that was a rather large growth figure. That was not because of me, that was simply the time ( couldn't understand...sounded like stanzika...never heard the word) perhaps in which we were able to get back on our feet. Perhaps it wa-s becauseof all the turmoil we had in the beginning. Things really cleared the books were cleared, and the budget was cleared, and we could go forward. The national situation which you referred to in the newspaper article you read meant that no one going into any kind of office in nineteen seventy-one could go in starry eyed. Everyone knew that faculty and students were no longer satisfied with the status quo. Everyone knew that the plans presented for growth in the nineteen sixties had to be scrapped. It was a lovely plan, beautiful building, but we could not afford it, anymore than we could afford the fine arts building. In other words, instead of dreaming for these wonderful things, you had to begin to work on campus with the people involved in consolidation. You had to realize that the only building you were going to do thereafter, was replacement, and I think that has been true. We did fix up a Music wing while I was in office. That was done with a grant from "The R. K. Mellon Foundation." SMJH: That was an interesting building, was it not? Wasn't it the old laundry building? The institution no longer provided laundry service for the students or the sisters living here. SMS: Yes, that is all true, and I think that the architect was very clever also in leaving a solid stone foundation on the building. Then when the state dictated that we could no longer use St. Mary's for classrooms or for indeed much of anything, we had to replace that building, and we did. The original Stokes Mansion was caving in on itself. The whole building had to go. ·We had the option of spending a couple of million dollars of rebuilding it as a monument, but we didn't choose to do that. We were then able to sell it. ( Sister Mary said something else about this, but it was garbled). The Home Economic Department came up here after much commotion. People came up here, and they were happy not to be running up and down the hill. The building which took its place is a lovely building. There was concern at the time, that it wouldn't be too nice because there is not much sun shining in that area. However, that wasn't the case. It turned out to be quite satisfactory. I have heard people later on remarking how well the building blends in with the other buildings on the campus. The Security members said how wonderful it is that the building fits in with the structural harmony of the other buildings. My point in bringing this up is to say that instead of going ahead with grandiose building plans, one had to made do, and we've been making do ever since. SMJH: So, the Music and Home Economic Buildings were put up during your time in office? SMS: Yes, the plans for the Music Building were done before that per the grant from the "R. K. Mellon Foundation"as said earlier. Then I went to the "Kresge Foundation" in Detroit following . the arrangement Sister Dorothy Jacko had made with them. They gave us a large sum of money which was used for the Home Economic Building. I don't think you would have received money during those years to put up something lovely ..e.g. a student union building. It would have been difficult to prove that you were going to use the facility within a certain time limit. I believe I think of those years on the negative side. It seemed like you were constantly fighting for something. I do remember a couple of things which I was very pleased about. We began the Campus Ministry Program some time during those years. I don't recall exact dates. My memory is all I'm going on. Perhaps someone would like to look it up in the files. I remember that the students' response to the initiation of the Campus Ministry was tremendous! Most ofus were 12 very happy, because it was difficult in the sixties to find students attracted to a program that was altruistic and outgoing. They were too concerned with running around in their bare feet, wearing cut off jeans, wondering why they couldn't have this or that etc. The reception the students gave to the concept of campus ministry and the actuality of it was a remarkable thing. We also found among the Faculty a great cooperative spirit, usually because there is an obvious need, to see how to see what could be done about bringing (not the word she used, but after several tries couldn't understand) the Academic and Liberal Arts Departments to some additional thing which would make them clearly oriented without destroying their liberal arts tenor and caliber. We knew we couldn't think what to say in regard to our liberal arts stance and quality. We also knew that we had to show some practicality. It seemed wonderful to me, that our Faculty, one· after another, would come up with many acceptable things, which seemed to tide us over in that period when people needed to be shown that their education could be practical. The things, of course, which appealed to me personally, were the outside activities Membership and meetings which we were obliged to attend at the Pennsylvania colleges and the middle states areas, and national meetings. Those 'were things which broadened your horizons for your work at home. They were very good, although they took a lot of traveling. Other things which one feels more constructive about was going around seeking funds from people. It seems to me at least, that the responses from directors of Foundations, and from small Corporations, and people that you went to talk to, was always quite positive and pleasant, if not in dollars, at least in attitude. Those were things which I found myself enjoying more than fussing around with why someone did or did not do what they were supposed to do. It' s a matter of temperament. I apologize, can't help it. I also found it to be very important to make the college well known in Greensburg. Father Maida (sounds like) did a very good job of doing this. To keep that going was something too to be visible, belong to the Chamber of Commerce, where Seton Hill was a place instead of a mysterious element on the Hill. I don't know, but I believe that's enough, don't you? SMJH: I think it is very impressive and interesting. I would like to quote from the newspaper once again. When you left the Office in nineteen seventy seven, the paper said: "Sister Mary leaves the Office of the President, having established programs that respond to the needs of the Seton Hill student body. She has built working relationships that will endure. The college is financially sound. Enrollment is at an all time high. Structures and systems of working are established that will benefit Seton Hill for years to come." Sister, we know that all these things are true, and they are true because of your enthusiastic leadership. Sr. Marie Arthur Hamilton: I completed the transcription of the oral history for Sister Mary Schmidt on December twenty-seventh, two thousand twelve 2012. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Mary Schmidt Subject The topic of the resource Sister Mary Schmidt Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Mary Schmidt, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1934 until 1993. The interview was conducted by Sister Miriam Jane Hollowood on July 10 and 18, 1984. Sister Mary Schmidt was born on June 26th, 1911 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of Henry K. Schmidt and Mabel Green, Mary Jeannette Schmidt entered the community on March 25th, 1934 at the age of 22 as Sister Mary Schmidt. Sister Mary Schmidt was a professor of English at Seton Hill College from 1936 to 1957. She served as the Executive Vice President of Seton Hill College from 1957 to 1970. Then, the following year Sister Mary Schmidt served as President of SHC from 1971 to 1977. Sister Mary Schmidt received her B.S. in English, Psychology, and Philosophy from Seton Hill College in 1932. Then, she received her M.A. in English from the University of Pittsburgh in 1934. Sister Mary Schmidt went to Yale University for her Ph.D. in English Language and Literature in 1943, where she would pursue her postdoctoral research at both Yale and Columbia Universities. Sister Mary Schmidt passed on April 26th, 1993 at the age of 81. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984/07/10 1984/07/18 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-81 Executive Vice President Pittsburgh President of Seton Hill College Professor of English Seton Hill College University of Pittsburgh Yale University https://scsharchives.com/files/original/114320220342515f52cdea585759d3fa.mp3 5b20f9f1653921c4bcc3f4ddf1e410f2 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/7c7b94b7d1ab49efbb4604f414e9ee41.mp3 565cf9caf4be43c8ecf48c5152d28088 https://scsharchives.com/files/original/32782d53d5d8b68d1556a8a8fec58933.mp3 b17653d61f7e8b3ddeb597b3bf7677bd Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Sara Louise Reilly Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister Rose Marie Schneider Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 46:42 46:43 37:07 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound OH 17-1 1 This interview is being conducted as part of the Oral History Program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister Rose Marie Schneider. The interviewer is Sister Sara Louise Reilly. The interview is being conducted at Assumption Hall where Sister Rose Marie lives. The date is Wednesday , February 2, 1983. SSL: Good morning, Sr. Rose Marie. SRM: Good morning. SSL: I'm happy to be here with you this morning for this special occasion that both of us have been waiting for. Sr. Rose Marie, the psalmist says that seventy is the sum of your years, or eighty if you are strong. So you are one of those strong people of whom the psalmist speaks. I think that you are somewhat past the age of eighty and you're a very active person, a very interesting person; and we'd like to hear something about your life. First of all, your life before you became a Sister of Charity and then many of the interesting things that you have to tell us about your life as a Sister of Charity. To begin then, would you like to tell us something about your family and your early life, your education, and anything else you'd like to share with us. SRM: My life started at Wilkinsburg, in St. James Parish and for the five years I went to the Catholic school at St. James School. Then I went to the public school for my sixth, seventh and eighth grades. And after, I took music from Sr. Estelle Lowe, sister of Mother Aloysia Lowe. Sister broke her leg, and went to Pittsburgh Hospital and I visited her there. She invited me to Seton Hill to visit her when she was recuperating. And so, in June 1912, I took my first ride to Seton Hill to see Sr. Estelle. While I was there she asked me if I would like to come to the Academy. I said, naturally,"Yes ." She sent me to Sr. Francesca, and there, Sr. Francesca interviewed me; she said she would send some information to my parents. When I told my parents that Sister had, ah, asked me if I wanted to go to the Academy my parents said, "How can I send you to a boarding school? " Well, that was in June; in August my mother said to me, "Do you still want to go to Seton Hill to school?" I said, "Oh, yes." Well, she said, "Papa and I are going there to see what we can do about it." And unfortunately, or fortunately, they told the sisters that I might want to be a Sister. I had never thought about being a Sister as far as I know. Well, anyhow , I did go to Seton Hill in September of 1912. Now while I was, ah, the reason that I think that my parents got that idea was that I had been going to Mass every morning. That was through the influence of my mother and one time she said to me on a Saturday morning that I didn't go to Mass, "Mary Gorham, across the street is just coming home from Mass and here you are still in bed." So you can see how there is this influence in my family. My family was a very staunch Catholic family . My mother was Irish, my father was German; so they did have quite an influence in my early life. So then, finally I went to Seton Hill and every time that I would do anything that was well. wrong, the Sisters would say, "You can't be a Sister if you do that." Well, anyhow, we had a very joyful time. However, it was during that time that I became homesick and we had ah, Sister Raphael as our angel. SSL: That was Sister Raphael Kane. SRM: Yes , and she said "I think you'd better go home before you forget." Well, anyhow , I forgot. And I stayed on until ah, that -- But, during that time I had some very influential teachers . Sr. Electa who was a very good friend of mine, taught English. Sr. Bertha taught me Latin; Sr. Stanislaus, history; Sr., ah, er, Miss Mehan.. May Mehan.. Domestic Sciences, it was called then; then we had Sr. Mary Matthew in the ah... SSL: Dormitories? SRM: Dormitories . And she, one of the little incidences about her. . . One of the rules was that we had to make our own beds, and if we didn't do them properly she would tear them all apart and we'd have to make them all over again. Well, that was Sr. Mary Matthew. But, anyhow . . . we were obedient and did them as we were told, like that. Then during that year I had some, ah. . . we only had seventy in our class. Mary Timon who was Mother Victoria Brown's niece -- SSL: Not her niece, would she have been her niece or her aunt? Mother Victoria was her, Mary's niece. SRM: Sister, Mary Timon was Mother Victoria 's SSL: Victoria 's aunt SRM: Mary Timon was Mother's niece. SSL: Was she? SRM: Mary Timon was Mother's niece. SSL: Oh, I thought she was her aunt. SRM: No, she was her niece. Then we had Edith Henry who became later Sr. Rose de Lima. Sr. Rose de Lima was a very brilliant person. She was always. . . one thing connected with Sr. Rose de Lima. . . she used to come up in the evenings to visit when she was a day student and she'd bring Ruth, who became Sr. Columba , with her. Sr. Rose de Lima would spend her time with Sr. Stanislaus, and I would spend time entertaining Ruth. Well, then also in our class we had Madeline Kenvey from Scottdale and we had Linda Whitehouse from Pittsburgh. I can't remember too many details of my high school life. There was one little incident; we used to play tennis. Oh, by the way, Sr. Fabian was our gym teacher. SSL: Sr. Fabian Harrigan? SRM: Yes, and she taught. I have liked basketball ever since that time because she was a very interesting person and our, ah.. athletics. . . We did a lot of sled riding; we had hay riding and we had tennis. Now, I remember an incident with tennis. Mother, er, Sr. Estelle was walking past with a pansy in her hand and she had just been over to Mother Aloysia 's grave and picked this pansy from there. She gave that pansy to me and I put that pansy in a book and pressed it. I had that pansy for years until it got so fragile that I didn't have it any longer. But that was really the only thing I remember of having contact with Sr. Estelle until. . . Oh, I don't remember any other incidents with her. SSL: Sister Rose Marie, you mentioned several of the sisters who taught you in the Academy, are there any incidences about any of those sisters that you would like to tell me about. SRM: Well, the two who came to my, to our home, were Sr. Francesca, Sr. Stanislaus and Sr. Marie Francesca who we would call "Schwester". They were going to school in Pittsburgh and my father had just bought an automobile. They wanted to go to Seton Hill and they asked me if I would get my father to take them. We did take them up and on our way we almost had a serious accident with a motorcycle. Naturally, my father was just learning to drive a car, and things were a little precarious on the highways at the time, especially the serpentine road that became Lincoln Highway from Pittsburgh to Greensburg. But however, my father survived that. I became very close to Sr. Stanislaus and to "Schwester". Finally; Sr. Stanislaus became my sponsor to the community. But, anyhow, oh, all these things happened in high school. When I finished in 1917 I graduated from high school. Mother Mary Joseph, who was our Mother Superior at the time , called me a slacker because I didn't petition to be a Sister after being there for four years. However, I went home and I took a commercial course at the Pittsburgh Academy with a group of students that Mother Claudia, she was Sister Claudia at the time, brought from Sacred Heart to Seton Hill to visit and I was one of the seniors that helped to entertain that group. When I went home I became very close with that group and we used to meet during the two years that I was at home. We'd meet at different homes and one of them was a sister to Mary Butler who was, in fact, a Sister herself- - became a Mercy Sister. One of these meetings she asked me to come early and said, "I have something to tell you," and I said, " I have something to tell you, too." And so, when I went, I went early and she took me up to her room and showed me her trunk. She said, "See my trunk." She said, "I'm going to be a Sister." SSL: Was that Mary Butler herself, or her sister? SRM: That was Mary Butler's sister. Mary Butler was a sister, a Sister of Mercy. SSL: Oh, I see. SRM: So this is Gertrude Butler, or I mean Teresita Butler, who is now Sr. Gertrude. She entered. SRM: Is she still living? SRM: Yes, She's still living. She is not very well. She is living, I think at the Mercy Hospital, as far as I understand. But, anyhow, I told her then that I was going to be a Sister and was going to Seton Hill. And she said, "Maybe I would have gone to Seton Hill had I known you were going," because she was a student at Sacred Heart and knew the Sisters so well, "I might have gone with you." However, she didn't. Fr. Gilbert, was really a friend of that group and he used to meet with us. And that night we had a conversation about going to the convent. Anyhow, 1919 I entered Seton Hill. When I finally told my father that I was going to be a Sister, he seemed to be sad. Even after having made that statement that he thought I was going to be one. Anyhow , when I came Sr. Gabriella . . . SSL: Noble SRM: Noble... was the portress; and after his first or second visit he said, "I'm happy now." He said to Sister, "Sister's happy." This started my, really my community life. My first Christmas in the Congregation was spent in quarantine. I was alone, a month. That was my beginning. Sister Mercedes Bradley had said that morning I had this temperature, and she said, "Oh, don't go to the infirmary until after Mass because we want to go to the community room after Mass and see what we find on our chair because each one had a chair with little presents, holy cards and etc. for Christmas . And well, after Mass she said, "Go to the infirmary," because I was burning up. Finally, they put me in quarantine. That was Sister Mercedes; she was very sorry that she had really told me to go because I was worse than I might have been otherwise. SSL: Was Sister Mercedes Bradley in the novitiate with you? SRM: Yes, she was in novitiate; she was one of the seniors in the novitiate. She died not too very long afterwards. She didn't live to be an old Sister. From then on, I've had a very interesting community life. I've pioneered in four different fields. I began with Sister Rose Angela and Sr. Anselma; we opened the Home Economics Dept. That was my first pioneering. Then we opened the Confraternity program in Westmoreland County in 1929; and that was the beginning of a program. Then I did family visiting in Greensburg , in St. Benedict's, which was a first for a parish. SSL: St. Benedict's is what is now the Cathedral parish. SRM: Yes, and Fr. Linus was the pastor at the time; Fr. Marchan, who was a pastor at Sacred Heart when I was at the hospital, was the assistant and Fr. James, who was the pastor at Ascension Church when I was at Jeannette Hospital, was an assistant. And then I pioneered in the... well. .. in fact I think, Assumption Hall. I came to Assumption Hall six months after it was established and I was not allowed to teach anymore because I had a throat condition. I wasn't allowed to teach; and so they sent me and I finally landed at Assumption Hall and I was here for five years. And then I pioneered at Jeannette Hospital; I was there for a month before they opened. So, as far as my community life is concerned, I've had quite interesting occasions; each one of them a very fruitful one spiritually because each one gave me the opportunity to work with people. I worked with people all my community life. My teaching at Seton Hill was interrupted twice. I should say, too, that we pioneered in the Home Economics Dept. down at St. Mary's where we took over the Boys School. SSL: The Department had been opened though, before it was moved to St. Mary's. So when you say pioneered in the Dept., you mean in that particular building? SRM: Well, yes. It was really the pioneering in the college dept. because we. . . ah, see we... Home Economics was just in the high school at the time. When we opened at St. Mary's it really was Miss Sanders. . . . SSL: Yes. At one time, though, wasn't the college Home Economics laboratory where the Biology Dept. now is? SRM: Yes. SSL: It was a college department in Maura Hall and then it moved to St. Mary's and you were one of the ones who helped to establish the Department at St. Mary's. You mentioned Miss Sanders; I remember she was one of the early members. SRM: Well, she was the head of the dept. for several years until Sisters Ann Elizabeth took over. I don't know if this is an interesting story or not; maybe I shouldn't mention it. While I was. . . how I got to be an Home Economics teacher; my mother had been ill, and I had to, before I entered, I had to keep house and my father bragged to the sisters how well I kept house when my mother was away. My mother had to go away for awhile after she had pneumonia and I kept house for my father. And he bragged about that to Sr. Francesca. When she wanted to find somebody to send away to take Home Economics, she picked me. She sent me in my. . .well, I was working at Seton Hill to get my degree at Seton Hill. Why. . .ah... in my junior year at college, she sent me to Columbia to start to get work in ah... . SSL: Nutrition? SRM: Home Economics, it was especially in management and the title of the course was called Scientific Management. So, I had a year of my Master's work before I finished my Bachelor's work at Seton Hill. It was really at Seton Hill that my interest in life, my interest in my real life's work started at St. Mary's in Home Management. One of the students, Anna Paul, had a friend who visited a gentleman friend; and he was working in marble. He was the one who chiseled the names that are now in front of St. Joseph's Chapel at Seton Hill. Anyhow, he was visiting there and somebody had painted the hearth of our good mantlepiece in St. Mary's and I asked him how I could take off the paint. He said it would take a lot of elbow grease and it would take abrasives and it would take time. So that was just a matter of conversation. When he was leaving he said, "Do you want me to help you take that paint off? And I said, "Do something for yourself," because he had in his conversation, bragged that he had been an altar boy; and now he didn't even go to Mass. He was now twenty-one or two years old. And I said to him, "Well, you can't do anything for me until you do something for yourself." "And, what's that?" he said. I said, "Well, you just go back to Church and be a good boy." Well, he did. The next Saturday he went to Confession to receive Communion and then he came up and worked with the mantle. He brought with him a boyfriend who was twenty­ four years old and had never made his First Holy Communion. He said, "Would you instruct him for his First Holy Communion while I take the paint off?" So I did. Well, anyhow, eight months later he came to Seton Hill to visit me and he said, "I want you to meet my wife. "Your wife," I said, "You never told me you were going steady with anybody." Well, he said, "Rose wanted to make her First Holy Communion and her parents wouldn't let her go to Sunday School. She was 16 years old; they wouldn't let her go to make her First Holy Communion and we wanted to get married. The two of us attended a wedding at Ascension Church and we decided to run away. Now we want to be married by the priest." SSL:: Sr. Rose Marie, you were active ; certainly in what is going on today in the church in the matter of evangelization, because at the same time that you were teaching at the college you were very active in catechetical work and instruction of converts to the church; so I know you look back on all of that with a great deal of gratification. Thanks to the goodness of God for having allowed you to be a part of all that. I know that you have many more things to tell us, and so perhaps we can meet again tomorrow to resume this. conversation. Will that be all right with you? SRM: Yes, that would be fine. SSL: Good Morning, Sr. Rose Marie. SRM: Good morning. SSL: This morning, I think, if you will, I'd like to go back and have you tell me a little bit about your family before we continue the discussion of your apostolic life within the congregation . You mentioned that your father was German and your mother was Irish. Were they both born here in the United States? SRM: Yes , they were. Mother was, and one of her brothers was born, the only two in the family that were born in this country. The others were born in Ireland. And my father was the youngest one in his family and he was the only one born in this country. And they were born in, I think Bavaria. That's where they were born. I have been reading a family tree that Fr. Metzler got together, the family tree of the Metzlers, and you know the Metzlers are Sr. Mary Hubert's family. In that, I learned a great deal about my family that I didn't know before. But there are a few things that still we can't find; and that is where my mother and father met and were married. I did hear at one time, that my mother lived in what is now the Hill District. At that time, in mother's time, it was Mayor Lawrence and the Harris's; it was an elite place. I just have that memory from the past. . . that mother said she lived there at one time. I don't have any other information about that. But Fr Metzler's family tree has given me some information about my family. First of all, I had, we were seven. . . I am next to the oldest. Vincent was the oldest and I was next. And then we had a set of twins that died in infancy and they were buried in St. Mary's Cemetery in Lawrenceville. Fr. found out what the cause of death was and that they were buried. . . . in my grandparents' grave. Then Leo came into the family; he had four girls, and Leo, died in 1969; I think it was. And his wife died just a year after, leaving four girls and they are very, very close to me to this day. And then Jane came along. When mother died she was in the eighth grade , no, she was in first year high school at Sacred Heart. Then Marian came and she was in the eighth grade. And Vincent sent Jane and Marian to Seton Hill to school to be with me because I had become a Sister. Well, I had been a Sister two and one half years at that time. Vincent thought it would be good to be under my protection, not my protection exactly, but my care. But I couldn't see them very much because they were in the Academy and I was in Novitiate; I had to get permission to go to visit them. But it was very fortunate that they were there, though, because there was nobody at home to take care of them; mother and dad were both dead. The family became very close when mother died. Vincent got the group together and told them that now if we mourn for mother and dad we will be mourning for ourselves. We want to do what mother and dad want us to do and keep together. He was the one that was mother and father to the family and he died in 1972. So that is the make-up of our family. To go back to my father, my father was from West Liberty. Now, I don't have much information about him, except one incident. I don't know if I told you about the incident at DePaul? Did I tell you that before? SSL: You mentioned something, but not when we were having this interview and maybe you would like to say that now. SRM: My father was a bookkeeper for Mr. McCafferty. You may have known Mabel McCafferty who went to Seton Hill. It was her father . My father was her father's bookkeeper. He accompanied Bishop Canevin to the area in Brookline to find a site for DePaul Institut e. Sr. Rose Xavier is writing the history of DePaul and she told me that my father is mentioned in the history of DePaul because of that incident. SSL: Your father was George Schneider? SRM: George Schneider. He had, as far as I know, he had only one brother, Louie and two sisters. When my mother died one of his sisters had been, was a widow, and she came and kept house for four years. Vincent had been really engaged when mother died, but he waited and so did Elizabeth, four years to become married because he had a family to take care of. I think I did tell you before that my sister-in-law, Elizabeth Hogan, was one of the group that came to Seton Hill with Mother Claudia when I was a senior. After I entered, why, she married my brother. She is still living in East Liberty, just two blocks below Sacred Heart. SSL: Does she have a family? SRM: No. She doesn't have a family. Vincent and Elizabeth prayed very hard for a child, but the Lord didn't send them any. We felt, I did particularly, felt that the Lord didn't give him any children because he had a family to take care of after mother died. Then Jane's children and Leo's children became Vincent's grandchildren and he was able, because of his position, to help them in some of their difficulties because you know, the depression came along at that time too. Vincent was able, not having any responsibility for a family of his own, he really did take on the families of ... SSL: Your sister's. SRM : Leo and Jane. It may have been that the Lord kept him in that way to be able to do that. He was able physically and financially to help them in many cases. In one incidence Jane had a heart opera tion. She was the 150 th heart operation in the United States. The doctor had said that she had 26 months to live. They sent her down to Hanaman ? Hospital in Philadelphia where they were experimenting with heart patients. There were a few fatalities in the experimental program at the time. Jane always said she lived eight years after the operation and she always said that the Sacred Heart kept her alive. Her doctor said he didn't know why she was living . SSL : Do you remember the year that she died? SRM: Yes, she died in 1960, the year that I went to Jeannette Hospital. SSL: Do you remember the years of your parents' deaths? SRM: Yes, my father died on March,1922 and mother died in January,1923 . SSL: That's very close together. SRM : Ten months apart; it was very hard. Vincent took on the responsibility very beautif ully, and took on a very wonderful outlook on life for the rest of the family . He was at their attention all during their lives . He died in 1972. SSL : Yes, I remember that. SRM : I missed him after that because he made it possible for me to go to see Jane, who was a semi-invalid and she lived in Gary, Indiana . At that time we had to go, you know two and two, and it was getting expensive to go and needing a companion to go each time. I just remember that was one of the first times that the community allowed a sister to go alone. And another incidence happened; I took Sr. Mary Hubert with me one time . We stayed at the convent; well it wasn't a convent. We stayed at the hospital, at the nurses' home. We found that it was an inconvenience for them to take care of us, so I was allowed to go alone and I stayed at home. I thought that was a privilege, because that was not a custom of the community to do that. SSL : You mentioned Sr. Mary Hubert; she was your first cousin, wasn 't she? SRM : Yes. Sr. Mary Hube rt's mother and my mother were sisters. Sr. Mary Hubert's mother married Warren Metzler; Warren Metzler's grandson is now the pastor at the Wilkinsburg church. SSL : St. James. SRM: St. James, Wilkinsburg . SSL : What was your mother's family name/ SRM: Sherry, that is Sr. Mary Hubert's mother's name was Sherry, also. I don't remember if I told you or not about the incidence, the Sherrys, in Wilkinsburg. My grandfather bought the property that was supposed to be the property for St. James Convent , not convent, church. SSL : Sister, would you begin again to tell me again about the purchase of the property for the church in Wilkinsburg . SRM: Well, the church purchased property at 910 South Avenue . When they started to make their plans to build the church, the surrounding families felt that was not the place for a Catholic Church . So, they had to buy elsewhere and they purchased the property at Franklin Avenue where the church is now. At that time they had the school under the church and the church as on the second floor. My father was the last person to be carried to his funeral in that church . Then they started to build the new one. SSL: Did you always live in St. James, Wilkinsburg parish? SRM: Yes, I was born in Wilkinsburg, baptized in St. James Church and received my other Sacraments there . I was born on Rebecca Street, where my Uncle Nick Schneider's home was . He was the janitor for the parish; his wife was a Protestant. She was very active, however, in the church becausej of Uncle Nick's position, job. Then we moved to 1215 Rebecca St. and lived there until ,was 14 years of age . We moved back to 910 1 South Ave. where my grandfather owned th property. That is where I entered from . My grandfather lived with us there and he died just a year before I entered. I was one of his special nieces ; whenever he would go to Ireland, he would always bring something back for me, and for another cousin who had an accident and had a leg amputation . The two of us were his special nieces. SSL: Your sister Mary is the sister you visit out in Arizona , isn 't she? SRM: Yes... No. She lives out in San Mattia, CA. SSL: Who lives in Arizona that's related to you? SRM: Leo's oldest girl, Anna. She's Mrs. Campbell now. She lives there; she doesn't live too far from where Sr. Harold Ann's mother lives. When I was out there I visited Sr. Harold Ann's mother. She lives in one of the homes for the elderly. Then Jane's two children, Billie and Jane live in CA. Billie is a doctor in nuclear medicine; he seems to be very successful out there. Janie is a housewife, but I learned just a short ago that she took a course in real estate and now she is doing real estate. She is following one of the traditions of the family; my father was a real estate man. It is fortunate that Marian is out there because she has really been the mother to those two children. Jane is an invalid; Marian never married and lived with Jane. So, she was really like the mother. Their father said that to me one time . SSL: What was Jane's married name, Sister? SRM: Jane McLaughlin, she was Mrs. Jane McLaughlin . SSL: Her husband is also dead? SRM: No, my sister lives there with him. You know, for two names to be on the mailbox, at this date . . . but, it is a very satisfactory situation because Marian lived with them for 35 years before Jane died. And so when Jane died, I said to Bill, "Wha t's going to happen to Marian?" He said,"Well she's been with us for 35 years; why, she is going to stay." Bill's mother wanted to move in with him; so Marian moved to a furnished apartment. But after Bill retired he couldn't take Marian to work anymore like he was. He had been an executive at the Steel Co. and could take Marian to her office out on Lake Michigan; after work he would bring her home. After he retired he didn't have that privilege of taking her because those mills are miles from their parking lots. It was very hard on Marian's health because she had a condition they call bronchitis. So, when Bill retired, Vincent encouraged Marian to retire also . But, she was not old enough and she had only been with Steel Co. 24 years; she had to be there to get a pension. Through her supervisor after a year, why, she got a disability pension. So when they moved out to CA they found an apartment that was very suitable for that type of living. They live in a condominium in San Mattia and are very happy. Both of them are semi or partially, well not invalid, but both have difficulties with their health . They are help for each other; it is a 50/50 proposition. Each have their own ideas and ways, but they are very close, like brother and sister and it is really a very beautiful situation. And it is a consolation to me because, I can't be near Marian. She is the only other member of the family living. However, she calls me every week, so I am close in that way. SSL: Thank you Sister for all that wonderful account of a very great family. I think now, if you will, I would like if you would continue with the discussion of your apostolic life in the congregation . And especially, I'd like if you would tell us about the involvement that you had with the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg. You made mention of that yesterday, but perhaps you'd like to tell a bit more about it today. SRM: Well, it started first when Fr. Linus asked Mother Claudia if she could send him a Sister to do family visiting and she sent me. I was with Father for six years. We did quite extensive work in the parish because I walked the streets of Greensburg from up where the Chancery is now, to clear over to where St. Paul School is now. And that you know is, well, I think, the Chancery is very far East from here and St. Paul's is West. I had some very interesting things happen with my family visiting with Fr. Linus. I would visit every family, the poor, the rich, the sick. I was not a social worker; I was just a family visitor and I would report back to Father and he would take up anything that would be necessary for him to do. We would sometimes go and find somebody a house ; he would be active in doing these things . Sometimes we had to help furnish the houses that we got for these people. There were many occasions that happened . It would take a long time to discuss what happened in the family visiting. But I had six happy years and met very many. There is one thing I would like to mention and that is: if I had to visit any questionable place, I would ask Mrs. Clarence Robertson to go with me, since I was alone. Then another time, about being alone, I was coming up Bryant St. and Fr. Reeves and Bishop Boyle passed me by in a car, but didn't pick me up. So, I walked the hill and when I got up to the top Fr. Reeves met me and said, "You'd better report to the Bishop why you were out alone ." And so I had to report to the Bishop why I was out alone . Anyhow, so many things happened, it would take too long. But the outcome of that was really the establishment of the Catholic Charities, because Fr. Linus was the first Director of Catholic Charities . So I went into the Office of Catholic Charities and worked with Gertrude Wordlaw and with her visited the Pgh. Catholic Charities, Roselia Foundling, St. Paul's Orphanage, Toner Institute, and the Good Shepherd Sisters on the Northside and also one in East Libe rty. Then, I went to Torrence with her because we would have to have contact with those in our work. Going back to the Little Sisters of the Poor, I had a little incidence there . Before I entered I worked for Shanahan Transfer and Storage Co. Mr. Shanahan wanted to get rid of one of his horses so he sent me to the Little Sisters of the Poor to ask the Sisters if they wanted this horse. So that is something about the Little Sisters of the Poor. SSL: And so did the Little Sisters take the horse? SRM: They did. And that is really one of, well, one instance of my apostolic work anyhow . SSL: And that was before you entered? SRM: That was before I entered the horse. SSL: I think you were involved in apostolic work at that time, too . SRM: Oh, yes. I went to Torrence with her, too . We used those services many times during my stay with the Catholic Charities. SSL: Sister, where was the office of the Catholic Charities at that time? SRM : It was on North Main Street. It was the second floor in one of those buildings there. I don't know which building, but it was on the second floor of one of those on N. Main St. SSL: Is it the building that is right on the corner? SRM: No, it wasn 't on the corner; it was on the same side going down, as the church. It was just beyond the bridge. SSL : I know that before the present Catholic Charities building was built, the Trinitarian Sisters had an office in one of the buildings down there on the corner and I thought that perhaps it was there that you began. SRM : Well, no, I didn't know that building. Our building was just beyond the bridge below the Catholic Church. While there I was given the responsibility of finding babies for people who wanted to adopt children. I have at the present time, five that I am in contact with of those children. Those children I took to their homes or took the parents to Roselia to pick them up, or wherever we went ... one was from Westmoreland Hospital . Now they are themselves mothers and fathers. I know them and I visit them. There is one that is from, oh . . where Sr. Serafina was from. SSL: Homer City? SRM : Homer City. The Hamrocks, er no, the Knoches lived there. I took Andrew and Theresa to Roselia to pick up their child. I went to her graduation at Indiana, and then later I went to her wedding ; they had a set of twins. When the twins were coming the mother called me and said, "I want you to come up to give Miriam some support because she is going to have twins ." So they came and got me, and they had two lovely boys --- twins. Before that they had a little girl; she's in, I think upper grades now. In my album I have pictures of Miriam from when she was a baby until now in her home; they have a lovely home in Blairsvi lle. She is now the secretary for the Blairsville parish, SS. Simon and Jude. One of our sisters, who works there now, said she sees Miriam ever so often. Her husband is a teacher in the Blairsville school. In Brenhauser, which is part of Blairsville, I have another, a boy, who was· adopted and came from Roselia. They wanted a child and the agency didn't get a child. I suggested that she take a foster child and then the agency would see how she is with children. There was a baby born at Westmoreland Hospital whose mother and father were going to be married, but they weren't going to marry for 6 mont3hs. So I took the baby to Mrs. Hamrock, just to keep the baby. Well, in the six months the mother and father came to get the baby and Josephine was very much upset because she became attached to this baby. It was not too long afterwards that Roselia had a baby, and Richard became their baby from Roselia . SSL : And the parents of the other child took that child? SRM : Yes, and they moved away. They moved to the central part of PA. So Josephine named her baby the same name as the baby she had. They weren't going to live near anyway and she named him Richard. I have been to their home several times. One day after Richard was 9 years old, she wanted another baby. By that time she had become too old, because there was an age limit regarding adopting a baby. They said you have one and so they didn't get her one. But one day at our festival I saw her with a little baby in a scooter ; I said to her "Where did you get the baby?" She said, "It's mine." And I said, "Well, where did you get it?" I hadn't heard anything about it. She said, "Well, I don't know if the mother died or left them or what, but anyhow she had these two children, a boy and a girl. She had asked the father if she could adopt her... because he couldn't find anybody to take care of them. So she took the little girl. She didn't have the little girl very long when she thought, "Well, why separate the little boy and girl?" So, she adopted the two. Then she had three adopted children . Richard is married and has his own family. Franklin is the boy and he is now in a vocational school ; he doing some kind of work. And the girl, we. . ., she's been a little problem and it has saddened Josephine some. The last time I visited, the little girl came back to be with her adopted mother. In the meantime, the father was injured in the mines. Then, not too long ago, he had a stroke; so, she has a sad life now. Anyhow , I hear from her all the time; at Easter and Christmas, I always get a box of candy. SSL : Sister, I wonder, you said that you were involved in that kind of work for six years . Were you involved in that full time ; were you teaching at the college and doing that as another assignment? SRM: Well, see I had a year off. When Mother sent me, I was given a year because Sr. Ann Elizabeth had taken over the department. SSL : Were you the chairman of the department before Sister? SRM: No. SSL: You were never the chairman? SRM: No, never the chairman. Miss Sanders was the first one at the college, and then Sr. Ann Elizabeth. When she finished, she became the chairman and Miss Sanders went to Indiana University. SSL : So, you were full time in the Catholic Charities just that one year. You said you had a one year sabbatical. SRM: Now, that was in my family visiting . SSL : Your family visiting? I see. SRM: I didn't have any. . . No, I did part time in the Catholic Charities . SSL: That one year that you were doing full time with the family visiting and that experience really led you into the Catholic Charities. The work you did with Catholic Charities you did on a part time basis and at the same time you were teaching at the college. SRM: Yes, after Gertrude left, I stilled worked some with Mrs. McDonough who was the second person who took over before the Catholic Charities . SSL: What was her first name? SRM: I don't remember. SSL: Well, Gertrude 's last mane was Wardlaw. Would you spell her last name for me please? SRM : WARDLAW, Wardlaw . She was Gertrude. SSL: Was she a married lady? SRM: No. She went to Seton Hill. SSL: She went to Seton Hill and that was her maiden name, so she never married? SRM: No. Well, another thing that happened when I was in family visiting . . . I'll go back to family visiting since I think that was nice and familiar. I had to go with a woman to the hospital in an ambulance and she gave me money to keep . Well, I wasn 't too old at the time so I took the money and took it up to Sr. Jane Elizabeth and she kept it, but I had to have a signature from the woman that I had the money. So I went to the hospital, but Ms. Irwin was the Administrator and she was rather strict and wouldn't let you go to visit a patient outside of visiting hours. However, I went and the woman wasn't allowed to have visitors . I can't quite remember the final thing , but I know I took the money to . . . . SSL: Sr. Jane Elizabeth was the treasurer of the community? SRM: Yes. As I said I visited people and well, it was just the regular family visiting , as far as Catholic Charities are concerned. Then, I left to go back full time at the college. When Sr. Ann Elizabeth died, Sr. Rose Angela asked me to go back full time and to give up that. But I never gave up my visiting people or having contact with them. I made lots of nice friends in that time. SSL: And they've been very faithful to you because you've been so faithful to them. SRM: Yes, they have been good to me. SSL: Sister , perhaps now you could tell us something about the wonderful years of your experience in catechetical work and something about those families who are pictured in that album that you showed to me yesterday. We can't take time to discuss every one at length, but perhaps you'd like to tell just a little bit about that and tell the great experiences that you had as a teacher in the Catechetical Program in the diocese. SRM: Well, in 1929, we all went out; I imagine there were 20 sisters who went out all over Westmoreland County to teach Sunday School. Mrs. Dingies,? from Pittsburgh, organized it because we didn't have a diocese then and so I taught in Avonmore . On the way home from Avonmore I stopped in Slickville to teach catechism to some members of a family. I think I did tell you about the beginning of that in this Anna from the college having a visitor . That is how I got in contact with the Slickville group. He introduced me to that family and I would stop on my way home from Avonmore and teach two boys who were not married. They were in High School and I prepared them for their First Holy Communion . The other members were all married and all out of the church as far as the Sacraments were concerned. There was only of them, five girls and three boys, who was married by a priest. The rest of them were married by squires; so, one by one, they came to me to have their marriages "Fixed up". Carmen Luzzetti, the boy, was really responsible for getting all of this going because he was very much in conflict ?? with family now. Not too long ago, when I was visiting one woman, a member of the family, told me that I visited their home for the first time when their son was 2 years old; he died a couple years ago at 45. That was one of the first times that I had met one of the families. . . . They lived on a farm and there was this, well, we'd call it the mother house up on the top of the hill. Then, down on the road, there were a couple (two)houses where two sons lived. So I used to call it the mother house; I'd teach at the mother house. And then I taught some others that came in with friends, I have in my album. I started the pictures of that family because many years ago I taught them and the husband of one I taught was in the hospital and I had their marriage "fixed" while he was in the hospital. So, as I said before, the grace of God flows from one to the other. It's marvelous how you plant seed and how it grows. SSL: I think you named your album, "The Flow of Grace" didn't you? SRM: I think it is something like that or God's grace, I forget what it was. Let's see, I have it here ...."The Flow of God's Grace". SSL: That is a very beautiful way to identify an album that really records the history. SRM: Well, see in that album, I have tried to have pictures of each family that I have had contact with, though not all, but some of them . There was a very interesting one that just happened last year. In the hospital there was a woman; well, she died and her husband was very lonely. I learned to know the family very well because that woman was in and out of the hospital. She had a leg amputation, was taken home and died. Her husband , Frank LeCor? was very down and lonesome. He used to call me and tell me how lonesome he was and then his friends got him to go out a little bit. He got himself working with the Senior citizens in St. Mary's Parish in Export. Then, too, he had a friend whose wife had a friend who was a widow; so he got them together. When he was out with this woman he talked about Sr. Rose Marie. She knew a Sr. Rose Marie, but she never connected Sr. Rose Marie with his. One day he mentioned something about the hospital and she said, "Why, that's my friend Sr. Rose Marie! I knew her 40 years ago when she was one of the group that I knew in Slickville". That was when I first taught out in Slickville. So, this Thanksgiving a year ago, they invited me to go to her home for Thanksgiving dinner; the two families live together . Wait a minute, I always forget Maimee's name, her last name before she got married; now she is Mrs. LeCor?. They ended up being married in January. So they have been very good to me since they are married. I was the only outsider besides the bridegroom or not the. . . . SSL: the attendants? SRM : Yes, the attendants , I was the only outsider at that wedding . Just the day before yesterday I got a card from them down in Florida. So you can see how things just come together. It so happens that the woman, Lena, is a sister to one of the Maranellis?, the family that I had developed from 50 years ago. So it puts Frank LeCor? into the Moranelli group. SSL : Where did you meet Frank LeCor? SRM : Well, his wife was ill and she was in and out of the hospital; she had diabetes . A bad thing happened, too , that made Frank very sad. About three years after his mother died, he became blind; he had diabetes, also . He had lost the sight in one eye; then he lost the sight in his second eye. He went to a school for the blind and passed through school and now? he's at Pitt. He was working towards a career for the blind but then he got a kidney condition and died. Frank and his son, John, were very close; they worked closely together . He had one child; I was at the child's Baptism. The thing that made Frank more sad was the fact that John's wife had been cremated . So, he would come with all these sad stories. When I was the hospital they?? came to visit me and when I came back here to Assumption Hall they?? came to visit me. SSL : Sister, a little while ago, when we weren't recording you were telling me something about Denis, one of the sons of Frank LeCor?. It was an interesting story; perhaps you'd like to make a record of that now. SRM : Denis worked for a company in Jeannette and was laid off permanen tly. When he was out looking for a job, he passed Kirner's in Pittsburgh. He said to himself, 'I'm going to get the kids a medal." So he went in and he picked up a book on the Blessed Mother and the rosary. He said after reading through the book, he took it home and said, "I should be saying the rosary." So, he started saying the rosary. I don't know if he'd ever said the rosary before, but anyhow he started to say the rosary. Now, he says three rosaries a day; one of those rosaries is said with his wife at 7p.m. when it is on the radio. Also, he goes to Mass every morning. He is in his late thirties and has three children. He brought his assistant pastor over to see me about two weeks ago. Fr. Persico was sitting out in the hall, when Denis came along with this priest. I don't know what the priest's name is, but it's Fr. Al --- SSL: What parish is that? SRM: Our Lady of Joy, in or near Murrysville. It's in the Pittsburgh Diocese; just over the border from Murrysville. Well, anyhow, now that he is not working, one of his things is he goes to the flea market where he saw a statue of the Blessed Mother. Now, he's very devoted to the Blessed Mother; he saw this statue of the Blessed Mother whose neck was broken. He bought it for fifty cents; he brought it home, fixed the neck and painted it. You really wouldn't know that it didn't just come from the store; it's so beautifully done. But, he brought it to me. SSL: Oh, isn't that nice. SRM : Continuing that story of the statue, he found another religious statue and he was painting it. A man saw him painting these statues and he gave him a statue to paint and paid him for it, which helped him a little bit. In return, he said about the Blessed Mother in October he didn't have enough money to his pay his rent. In the book he had read that the Blessed Mother answered a lot of prayers. So he said to her, "I haven't any money to pay my rent, could you find a way for me to get money?" A short time after a man asked him if he could paint the gutters in his house. So Denis painted the gutters and got enough money to pay his rent from that. That money was through the Blessed Mother! SSL: I think you said that his unemployment , in a sense, has been a blessing for him, since it has brought him closer to God and closer to the Blessed Mother. SRM: That's true , right. SSL: Sister , you told us about John, Mr. LeCor's son who became blind and eventually died after his serious illness and who was cremated at the wish of his wife. You mentioned that he had a son Denis, about whom you've been talking. Did he have any other children? SRM: He has a son that lives in Texas and a daughter that lives in Pgh. The one in Texas and the one in Pgh. are twins . John is the oldest of his boys. SSL: He's the one who died? SRM: He's the one who had the kidney condition and died. SSL: Where do Mr. and Mrs. LeCor? live now? SRM: He lives in Export. Lena had a home in Slickville ; then she moved into his home because he built the home himself. He was very much attached to that home because it is a little bigger and simpler than Lena's. Of.I 11-2- This interview is being conducted as part of the Oral History Program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. The interviewee is Sister Rose Marie Schneider. The interviewer is Sister Sara Louise Reilly. This is the third session of interviews with Sister Rose Marie. Today is Wednesday April 20, 1983. The interview is being conducted at Assumption Hall. SSL: Sister Rose Marie, you were one of the sisters who came to Assumption Hall in the beginning of its history . Would you like to tell us something about your work here in Assumption Hall in those days? SRM: Well, how I got here was not as a patient, exactly, though I did have a throat condition and was not allowed to teach anymore . I had been at Blairsville for eight months in silence and they assigned me to come here. Not having any illness that would keep me in my room or bed- ridden, why, I "puttsied" around in the kitchen with Sr. Regis. Sr. Regis had been at Seton Hill and I taught her. She assigned me to a job in the area of the kitchen, in the storage room. All of the supplies from the infirmary at Seton Hill had been brought to Assumption Hall and put in this room without being organized in any way. So Sr. Regis gave me the job of organizing the storage. We ordered shelves and I continued there . That resulted in my being involved in the kitchen proper. I took care of the diets; we served the sisters in the infirmary from a hot cart. That was given to me as a responsibility -to serve the trays on the third floor. There I continued for five years. I had a happy five years because we lived the real community life. We had the old sisters who were not ill, but were old; we had recreation every night. Some of the sisters would play Old Maid and other games; we just were really happy, living there at that time . Then, the novices at that time had to come to Assumption Hall for jobs and some of them worked with me on the third flo or. Now, ever so often, I hear from some of them because they remember little things that I did or things that I said. So I still have contact with those novices who worked with me. I felt that it was very profitable for them to be here, too, from the standpoint of community. The old sisters reminisced and some could remember back to the beginning of the community . At the time there was one of my own family here, Sr. Mary Hubert Metzler, who was my mother's niece; her mother and my mother were sisters. So there are very many happy memories here at Assumption Hall. Mother Eveline was here, Sr. Mary Edna, Sr. Mary Francis and Sr. ,Ican't remember her name. SSL: Sister, you said Sr. Mary Francis, that was Sr. Marie Francis, wasn't it? SRM: Yes, Marie Francis, and Sr. _ _ _ _ _ , she used to be Treasurer at Seton Hill. We had a very lovely association with those old sisters. We'd all go down to prepare vegetables for dinner and things like that. We really had a very happy family here. Then, all of a sudden, I happened to have a vacation with my sister in Gary, IN. She had been an invalid for fifteen years . . . Jane Schneider, who had been an Academy graduate. Mother Claudia sent me a letter saying that I could have another week with Jane and then I was being sent to Jeannette Hospital where they could use me. She said the work in the kitchen was going on smoothly, so I could go to Jeanne tte. But she told Sr. Geraldine not to put me in the kitchen. I had been teaching Home Economics in the food service area for about 25 years, so Sr. Geraldine didn't know what to do with me. It took her about two or three weeks of opening packages and getting ready to open the hospital while she was trying to find out what she could give me to do. So, when she was finally ready to actually start the hospital, she decided to make me the Executive Housekeeper. I was that for 13 years. I did my work in supervision in that work by visiting patients and through that I did some apostolic work. Instead of going with a pencil and pen to find out what was wrong, while I was visiting I would look around and see what needed to be done. At the meeting, I would bring this up. We had working there a group of women who were real housekeepers of a home and it became like a family. They had a lot of initiative and a lot of ambition; we became a real close fa mily. They used to get together maybe twice a year and invite all the sisters, have games and they'd have beautiful prizes. One thing we got as a benefit was that Sr. Geraldine, the administrator of the hospital, was always there at the supper and the girls got to know another side of Sister, other than as an administrator . They realized that when she passed us in the hall she couldn't be greeting us as though we were at recreation. So, we really were a very close knit group, that is, the Sisters and the employees at the hospital. Then, after 13 years, well during those 13 years, I did a little bit of apostolic work. They would ask me questions and I would answer them naturally and as a result, we had converts. We had some real converts and then we had some who were brought back into the Church. It was very satisfying to be able to do that kind of work as well as supervising housekeeping. Then , when I became 75 years old, it was decided that it was time to change my job because the hospital was getting larger with more employees and situations were getting a little harder. So, Sister Geraldine , God love her, found a job that was very productive for me during the rest of my time at the hospital. They were backlogged in microfilming of their medical records and she asked me if I would take over the microfilming of records in the Medical Records Department. So with some volunteers , and those volunteers were professional women , we worked. Some were secretaries from industry and some were our own students. We had Mary Dolan, who was a student from our Academy and College, Leann , Anastine , Hildegarde Lutz, who had been a student of mine and Hildegarde's sister, Mary Harlgone, who had been a secretary from one of the institutions in the area. We had a lovely department and extended our microfilming from the Medical Records to Laboratory, the Business Office and X ray. When I was 82 years old somebody made the statement that "surely they don't have an 82 year old person on the payroll." And so the Board decided not too long afterwards that everyone who was 65 years old was to retire. Well, that included our Sisters Mary Cephas, Mary Magdalene, Norberta and Rose Marie. It happened that the government made a ruling that you could not force a person to retire until he or she was 70 years old, so that released Sr. Norberta from that obligation because she was only 66. But, three pf us had to retire. So, I came back to Assumption Hall and I have been here now almost five years. SSL: So you came first in 1954; you were here until 1959 and came back in what year? SRM: 1978. They were only open six months when I came here and the Bishop had made the remark at the Mass of Dedication that this was the stepping stone to eternity. I have come to realize in my five years here that it is a place to prepare for eternity. I have had many opportunities to do just that because we have been given many opportunities of the chapel and our chaplain. We have been able to prepare. SSL: Well, you've been preparing all these years not just these last five years. One of the things which I think is very significant, as you talk, Sister, is you are always concerned with establishing community whether it is the sisters with whom you're living or those people with whom you are wo king. You commented each time that this is a very significant feature of your life. So, you really have been preparing all these years, not just these last five years, though you have had some special opportunities in these years. SRM : Well, I hope that I will be prepared. Because you know, Sister, with all the anxiety of the world and all the things that are going on today, you just get yourself so frustrated sometimes . You don't know whether you are on the right road or not! However, it is a good place to try, anyway. SSL: As you look back through all these years, Sister, are there certain Sisters who you had an association with and you feel a particular influence on your life or about whom you might want to say something else. You mentioned some earlier, I think in the first session that we had. Perhaps you want to look back over some of that now and see. SRM: Well, Sister, I think maybe I said before that my introduction to Seton Hill was through Sr. Estelle Lowe, the blood sister of Mother Aloysia Lowe. When I came to visit her she asked me if I would like to come there to school. Well, she sent me to Sr. Francesca Brownlee, who was the Directress of the Academy; she gave me literature. She sent Sr. Stanislaus and Sr. Francesca to visit my parents . Then in August my parents decided that they would see about sending me to school, and they would . After I landed there Sr. Stanislaus took me under her wing and certainly did guide me on the right track. However, as my father had said when he visited before I came, that he thought I might be a sister. Well, he told the Sisters that and it was probably the wrong thing, because they had it in their minds that I was going to be a Sister and I had to do this properly and do that properly. If I did anything that was out of the way, then I was warned that I couldn't be a Sister if I did things like that. So Sr. Stanislaus was the one who was really my inspiration at the beginning. I became very close to the Sisters. For instance, at the time we were going to Duquesne for school. They would be acquainted with my family and sometimes my father would take them back to Seton Hill after school. One time we almost had a fatal accident because the certain road going from Pittsburgh to Greensburg was the Old Lincoln Highway and a motorcycle came toward us. I don't know how my father controlled the car. I had Sisters Francesca, Francis, Stanislaus and Maria Francesca in the car. I don't know how my father kept the car on the road, but finally we were safe. Those were a few things I remember about those Sisters . Sr. Stanislaus kept close tabs on me. I went to Pgh. after I graduated for advice from a priest at St. Augustine's. Sr. Stanislaus was afraid that they were leading me away from Seton Hill and so she invited me to make a retreat at Seton Hill; I had just made a mission at the church and when I mentioned it to the priest, he said "don't take too many. . ." don't have too much piety. . . ." I don't know just how he put it, but he said that I had just had a mission and that was enough right now. And so St. Stanislaus was afraid that I was going to be a Franciscan instead a Sister of Charity. However, I don't know if I told you about the visit that my father's boss did about me. He took me to see the Mercy Sisters because he had two daughters in that community. He took me to the Ursulines and to the Franciscans. He was going to take me to see the Sisters of St. Joseph also, but he had to go to Europe for some reason and when he came back I told him not to bother taking me any place else because I was going to be a Sister of Charity. That was Mr. McCafferty, who had a daughter who was a Seton Hill graduate. So I became a Sister of Charity. SSL: Well, we're glad you came to us. SRM: Well, as far as the others Sisters... Sr. Electa and I were very close; we were good friends. We'd talk things over every once in a while. And Sr. Francesca Brownlee... again, repeating things you know. I don't know if I told you about sister's relationship/ acquaintance with my mother. You know, when we were in the Academy we didn't know the Sisters' names before they became sisters, but I knew Sr. Francesca's name; she was Marcella Brownlee. When I went home I said to my mother, "Oh, do you know what our Directress's name was before she became a Sister? Her name was Marcella Brownlee." And she said, "That name sounds very familiar to me." So when I came back to school I said to Sr. Francesca, "Did you know anyone by the name of Theresa Sherry; that was my mother's name before she got married?" She said the name sounded familiar, so I asked if she ever lived in Wilkinsburg . She said, "Oh, yes I used to go visit the McGraws. The McGraw girls went to Seton Hill and she used to go home with them and my mother was a very close friend of the McGraws. So my mother knew Sr. Francesca in that way. They never really knew each other after that, but they became associated in that way. So, I had a closer contact with Sr.Francesca because she knew my mother at one time. And I'm afraid , well, I shouldn't say afraid but, I think that maybe had some influence on my becoming an Home Economics teacher because she was more interested in my family then and the things that my parents would tell her about my working at home. For instance, my mother was very ill and she had to go away to the mountains afterwards for recuperation ; I kept house for my father when I was only 13 years old. So I think that was in Sr. Francesca's mind when she needed an Home Economics teacher and picked me to go to school at Columbia where I worked and got my Masters degree in Home Economics there . So I've had a very active life at Seton Hill and the Sisters are very dear to me. I think I have to thank them for what I am now. Lord knows what I am, but I know they helped me to be what I am anyway . SSL : Well, you've certainly had a very full life, Sr. Rose Marie. Y ou' ve related so many differen t kinds of experiences and in addition to your very great concern to establish community. I think you have been very much an Apostolic person. I'm recalling now about when you were at Jeannette and working with administrating the housekeeping that you found that as a means of making friends and helping other people apostoli cly. So I think that we have much to be grateful for that we have someone like you among our members and I feel particularly privileged to have been allowed to visit you, interview you and to learn about those experiences . I know that there were times through this interview that you said "I am grateful for", and maybe you would like to just close this interview by saying whatever it is that you would like to say after these years. How many years now, have you been in religion? SRM : 64. It will be 64 next August. SSL: So as you look back over those years , first an Academy student and then as a member of the Congregation, what would like to say? SRM : My most satisfying, I suppose, or the one that has done most for my spiritual life, I think, was my first experiences with family visiting, my confraternity work and my work with Catholic Charities. I just met one of the women that belongs to the Children's Department in the Courthouse, who reminded me of my association with her through Catholic Charities. Her daughter, Rebecca ,Ijust can't think of her name, it was just on my mind. Anyhow, she was a student of mine and a person just recently made a remark to her that she had worked with me in Catholic Charities. So I feel that the most influential, most satisfying and most beneficial thing in my life has been my contact with people. I would almost say with souls because my life has been that. Now I have kept up an album of my work with those families, but I could only put in the album the social life that I had with these families. However, it is the spiritual contact more than the social, since I was invited always as a Sister. Because I was with those families, and there have been so many sorrows and so many catastrophes that have been very sad, and I have been a part of all of that. That's what has been my life. SSM : So, you've been a Sister of Charity . All of those things are very beautiful and I am sure those people will be eternally grateful to you as you are eternally grateful for having been allowed to be of so much help to th em. SRM: SSL : SRM: SSL: I never would have had those opportunities had I stayed in the world . I don't know whether I mentioned the fact that when my mother and father died 10 months apart, my brother said to me,"They needed me where I was." Because my relatives thought that I should go home and help keep house, but my brother said,"They needed her more where she is". And through all the years , 50 or more, he has shown that he meant that , because he always depended on me as a Sister . And finally, I'm sure that we would conclude with a prayer of gratitude to God for all the blessings of these many years . And I want thank you for interviewing me and giving me the opportunity to reminisce . It has been a very beautiful experience for me, Sister, and l"m grateful to you. I know you continue to remember in your prayers all of the Sisters of Charity and we're happy to know that we have you and so many others praying here. God bless you . Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister Rose Marie Schneider Subject The topic of the resource Sister Rose Marie Schneider Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister Rose Marie Schneider, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1919 until 1987. The interview was conducted by Sister Sara Louise Reilly on February 2 and April 20, 1983. Sister Rose Marie was born on September 11th, 1896 in Wilkinsburg, Pa. Daughter of George Schneider and Theresa Sherry, Alberta Schneider entered the community on August 15th, 1919 at the age of 22 as Sister Rose Marie Schneider. Sister Rose Marie was a professor of Home Economics at Seton Hill College from 1926 to 1954. She served as the past President of the National Catholic Council on Home Economics. Sr. Rose Marie worked at Jeanette District Memorial Hospital from 1959-1978 as a housekeeper (from 1959-1968) until she was promoted to executive housekeeper from 1968-1978. Sister Rose Marie received her B.S. in Home Economics from Seton Hill College in 1924 and then her M.A. in Nutrition and Management from Columbia University in 1927. Sister Rose Marie Schneider passed on February 2nd, 1987 at the age of 90. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983/02/02 1983/04/20 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-17 Columbia University Jeannette District Memorial Hospital National Catholic Council on Home Economics Pennsylvania Professor Home Economics Seton Hill College Wilkinsburg https://scsharchives.com/files/original/8c2424fe98a7abb027ead5eac6ab6f9a.mp3 bb5f08a57b0cbf90f515555404783b3a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister James Marie Malone Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Editha Springer Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 41:32 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister M. Editha Springer Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Editha Springer Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister M. Editha Springer, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1926 until 1997. The interview was conducted by Sister James Marie Malone on June 25, 1987. Sister Mary Editha Springer was born on May 26th, 1906 in Carrolltown, Pa. Daughter of Thomas P. Springer and Elizabeth C. Reig, Delrose Frances Springer entered the community on September 8th, 1926 at the age of 20 as Sister Mary Editha Springer. Sister Mary Editha was an intermediate teacher for 10 years and an upper elementary teacher for 10 years. She taught at St. John the Evangelist in Southside of Pittsburgh, St. James School in Wilkinsburg, Sacred Heart in Shadyside, St. Paul School in Greensburg and the Tucson Dioceses. She taught history at Seton Hill College in the summer sessions from 1940-1944, 1950-1952, and 1955-1960. She received her B.A. of English with a minor in Social Studies from Duquesne University in 1940. She received her M.A. of American History from Duquesne in 1950 and then went to Seton Hill College in 1952 for Fundamentals of Art. In 1968, she received her Elementary School Librarian Certification from St. Francis College. She was an administrator in elementary for 16 years and was an elementary librarian for 2 years. Sister Mary Editha Springer passed on September 3rd, 1997 at the age of 91. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/06/25 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-48 Arizona Duquesne University Educational Administrator Librarian Pittsburgh PA Sacred Heart School Seton Hill College St. Francis College St. James School St. John the Evangelist Teacher Tucson AZ Wilkinsburg PA https://scsharchives.com/files/original/b5ddd736a3ce5a950d3a6500afbea3a0.mp3 6216c8def08d5e31986e65ce7a48be62 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Paulina Glenn Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Honora Steiner Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 07:09 Transcription Any written text transcribed from a sound I OH 33 - I Sr. M. Honora Steiner The following interview is conducted as a part of the oral history program of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. It is taking place at Assumption Hall on October the twentieth, nineteen hundred eighty-two. The interviewee is Sister M. Honora Steiner, and the interviewer is Sister M. Paulina Glenn. SMPG: Sister Honora, tell us something about yourself. your early life before you came to Seton Hill. SHS: I was born on January eleventh, nineteen hundred two in Germany( I couldn't make out the name of the city). My father was: Mr. Honora Steiner, and my mother was Theresa Steiner Wickerman. I had three brothers. Two of them were killed in the first world war, and my brother, Tom, died at the age of twenty-two. I had four sisters: Francesca, Barbara, M(couldn't determine), and Theresa. Theresa is still in Germany. The first three went to heaven. I came to Seton Hill in nineteen twenty-three to become a Sister of Charity. SMPG: Why did you leave Germany? SHS: One day I went down to the Villa to a meeting. (I believe this was with the Pastor). The Pastor asked me ifl had decided to become a Sister and ifl had chosen the Community. I said yes that I wanted to become a Sister, but had not chosen the Community. He then asked me if I would like to go to America? I said I will think today about it and later gave him the answer, yes. SMPG: Did you know any Sister of Charity? SHS: I knew about Sister Maria Francesca Umauer. Sister Maria Francesca's father and brothers and sisters I have known, so I thought I would know someone at Seton Hill. My parents gave me permission to go. They were happy that I wanted to be a Sister. My parents wrote to Seton Hill and asked if they would accept German girls in their Community. The answer was "Yes". So, Sister M. Margretta Bernlohr, Sister Maria Gratia Burgmaier, and Sister Rose Gonzaga Wieland and I came to Seton Hill in nineteen twenty-three. We were very happy. Sister Maria Francesca, Sister Margretta, Sister Maria Gratia, and Sister Rose Gonzaga have all gone to heaven. I'm the only German Sister still living in the community. SMPG: Did you ever return to Germany? SHS: Yes, I was allowed to go home three times to visit my sister and their families. Sr. Rose Gonzaga and I went in nineteen fifty-one, for the the first time. We were very happy to make the trip. SMPG: What work have you done in the community? SHS: After I completed my college education, I became a teacher. I taught German, History, Religion, and (I couldn't make one subject out). My missions were: St. Luke's, Carnegie, St. James, West End, St. John the Baptist on Liberty Avenue, and Elizabeth Seton High School in Brookline. I was very happy to be a teacher. 2 SMPG: When did you come to Assumption Hall? SHS: I came to Assumption Hall in nineteen eighty-one. I now am in the Apostolate of prayer for the sisters who are still teaching and nursing. I also am involved in the Apostlolate of canceled stamps. I am glad that I became a Sister of Charity. God has been very good to me, and I thank Him for all He has done for me. SMPG: Thank you, Sister Honora. Your life has been a very full life as a Sister of Charity. Sister Marie Arthur Hamilton: I completed the transcription of the oral history of Sister M. Honora Steiner on November fifteenth, two thousand twelve (2012). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister M. Honora Steiner Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Honora Steiner Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister M. Honora Steiner, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1923 until 1985. The interview was conducted by Sister Paulina Glenn on October 20, 1982. Sister Mary Honora Steiner was born on January 11th, 1902 in Uttenweiler, Wurttemberg, Germany. Daughter of Honor Steiner and Theresa Weggenman, Anna Marie Steiner entered the community on December 8th, 1923 at the age of 21 as Sister Marie Honora Steiner. Sister Marie Honora taught German, Latin, history, and religion at St. James West End from 1950 to 1952. Then, from 1952 to 1958, she taught Latin, history, and religion at St. John the Baptist, Pittsburgh. At Elizabeth Seton High School in Pittsburgh, she taught Latin and religion for 10 years from 1958-1968, then taught German and Latin from 1968 to 1974. She then taught for five years at Sacred Heart from 1975 to 1980. Sister Marie Honora received her degree in German, Social Studies, and Latin from Seton Hill College in 1941. She attended SHC in the summer session of 1964 for religion an then in the following year, in the summer session of 1966, she attended the University of Scranton for German. Sister Marie Honora Steiner passed on February 9th, 1985 at the age of 83. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1982/10/20 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Oh-33 Brookline PA Elizabeth Seton High School Germany Pittsburgh Sacred Heart Seton Hill College St. James West End St. John the Baptist University of Scranton https://scsharchives.com/files/original/84e8ddcc3f345908132bdc26c7b4d5a2.mp3 234018e68ba37ca949d6d08473aff8aa Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral Histories Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Language A language of the resource English Subject The topic of the resource Oral histories of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights to this recording belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH Description An account of the resource To listen to an oral history, click on the record or search by the sister's name. Look under "Other Media" and click on the desired mp3 file to open the oral history. Multiple files indicate a continuation of the oral history. Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Interviewer The person(s) performing the interview Sister Marie Corona Miller Interviewee The person(s) being interviewed Sister M. Alberta Sweeney Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Audio cassette tape Bit Rate/Frequency Rate at which bits are transferred (i.e. 96 kbit/s would be FM quality audio) 96kHz Duration Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.) 31:01 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oral History: Sister M. Alberta Sweeney Subject The topic of the resource Sister M. Alberta Sweeney Description An account of the resource An oral history of Sister M. Alberta Sweeney, a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill from 1923 until 1999. The interview was conducted by Sister Marie Corona Miller on January 15, 1987. Sister Mary Alberta was born on March 10th, 1902 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Daughter of Thomas D. Sweeney and Mary E. McNertney, Margaret Mary Sweeney entered the community on November 1st, 1923 at the age of 21 as Sister Mary Alberta Sweeney. Sr. Mary Alberta taught at the upper-level in education for 30 years. She taught at St. Phillip, Sacred Heart, St. Stephen, St. Anselm, St. John the Baptist, and Resurrection Schools in Pittsburgh. She was an administrator in elementary education for 12 years, serving as Principal for Saint Anselm from 1951-1955 and 1957-1963. Sister Mary Alberta Sweeney received her Bachelor's of Education from Duquesne University in 1933. Sister Mary Alberta Sweeney passed on January 19th, 1999 at the age of 96. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Archives of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987/01/15 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource All rights belong to the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Audio cassette tape Type The nature or genre of the resource Oral history Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context OH-32 Brookline PA Crafton PA Duquesne University Pittsburgh Resurrection School Sacred Heart Sacred Heart School St. Anselm's School St. John the Baptist School St. Phillip's School St. Stephen's School Swissvale PA Teacher